Jude Bellingham thinks Liverpool could be signing a player who ‘acts like he’s 40’

Liverpool are in talks with Crystal Palace over a deadline day deal for captain Marc Guehi, who’s made quite the impression on team-mates like Jude Bellingham in recent years

Jude Bellingham has already told Liverpool supporters what they can expect from Marc Guehi. It comes as the Reds are looking to secure a deadline day swoop for the Crystal Palace captain.

The 25-year-old’s uncertain future at Selhurst Park has dominated summer transfer speculation, with Arne Slot believed to be keen on the defender. Following Ibrahima Konate’s heavy criticism after displays against Bournemouth and Newcastle United, the Dutch boss would be sensible to bolster his defensive options.

Whilst the Reds have recently landed Giovanni Leoni from Parma in a deal worth £26million plus add-ons, Slot may require someone with established Premier League pedigree for the immediate challenge while the 18-year-old continues his development. And should Bellingham’s past comments about Guehi ring true, the England international could slot seamlessly into life at Anfield.

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During last summer’s Euro 2024 campaign in Germany, Bellingham said: “Marc probably made the best flick-on header in England history, and he’ll never take any credit for it, but it’s important he knows how appreciative I am and the team is for his contribution. He’s the most humble geezer, he thought I’d let him get away with a little handshake but he’s just set up the most important goal of my life.

“I’m really big on giving people their flowers, especially when they’ve been as good as he has so far this tournament. He’s only a little bit older than me, but when you speak to him or are around him, you get the idea that he’s like 40 and played three careers.

“He’s such a nice guy, you forget about his physical presence and playing against him. Whenever I see him going for headers, I think it’s nice-guy Marc and then boom, it’s not-so-nice Marc. He’s a brilliant guy, uncle Marc.”

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Harry Maguire has also heaped praise on Guehi after featuring alongside him on the international stage. Maguire similarly said: “Marc has done amazing.

“I think he left Chelsea at an amazing time when he had to play football. When you watch him play he doesn’t look like a young boy playing football. He’s a captain of Crystal Palace.

“He’s going to have a long career in the game. He has all the attributes you need to be a centre-back. The friendly in the first half at Scotland unfortunately he had to come off. He’s such a young boy playing with so much maturity.”

It comes as Liverpool continue discussions with Palace over Guehi, though current boss Oliver Glasner insists they must secure a proper replacement before sanctioning his departure from south London. The Reds have already submitted a £35m bid plus a 10 per cent sell-on clause, but the Eagles are demanding closer to £40m for their defensive cornerstone.

Speaking to Sky Sports following Crystal Palace’s 3-0 triumph over Aston Villa on Sunday, Glasner said: “For playing a successful season we need Marc and it is not possible with one day left to find a replacement who can play in the Premier League. You’ve seen our defensive setup, I have spoken about it quite often, this is our foundation and everyone knows exactly what he has to do.

“Everyone can rely on each other and Marc, of course, is not just a small part of the puzzle, he is our captain, so we have to keep him. I told this to the chairman and again it’s not for me.

“It’s nice because I like Marc, he is such a professional and such a nice guy, but it’s for the future of Crystal Palace and playing a successful season, so we have to keep him. And especially we talked and said we [will] sell Marc if we have the right replacements, and we don’t have the right replacements, so for me, it’s clear to keep him.”

Should Palace prove successful in repelling Liverpool’s advances, they ultimately face the prospect of losing him without compensation next summer, considering he has entered the final 12 months of his existing deal. And it’s something that chairman, Steve Parish, has emphasised that his club cannot allow to happen.

Following Palace’s Community Shield victory last month, Parish said: “Yes, of course, for players of that calibre to leave on a free, it is a problem for a football club. There is no doubt about it, unfortunately. Joachim [Anderson] went [last summer to Fulham] and we couldn’t afford to lose both of them.

“We then had another bid in January but that was a difficult situation as well. We will just have to see what happens. It needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.

“In the end, people trade players. That is what football clubs do. Of course, if you don’t care about tomorrow ever and put it all off, then we are a fantastic team.

“If we had four more players, I don’t know what we could achieve. Unfortunately, it is not always as simple as that. We have got a lot of outgoings this year because we are paying a lot of transfer fees for players that we have already got.”

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