Liverpool transfer news: Marc Guehi January 'expectation' revealed as Arne Slot makes stance clear

Crystal Palace's 'full expectations' over a Liverpool approach for Marc Guehi in January have supposedly been revealed following Giovanni Leoni's ACL injury.

The Reds were already short in defence before the summer signing Leoni sustained his season-ending issue in their 2-1 EFL Cup third-round victory over Southampton in midweek.

With Leoni out for a year, Slot only has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and Rhys Williams to work with as his senior centre-back options, but the latter is barely on the fringes of the first team.

Things could have been different for the Premier League champions had they wrapped up a last-minute £35m deal for Guehi on transfer deadline day, but an eleventh-hour deal fell through owing to Palace's failure to secure a replacement.

However, the Eagles are now expected to lose Guehi either on a free transfer next summer or on a cut-price fee in January, where Leoni's devastating injury could force Liverpool back into the transfer market.

Palace 'braced' for Liverpool January approach for Guehi

According to TBR Football, the Eagles are braced for Liverpool to come forward in January for Guehi's signature, and chairman Steve Parish remains open to cashing on on the England international.

Parish initially gave the green light to Guehi's late summer exit, as the Eagles chief was determined not to lose the defender on a free transfer, but manager Oliver Glasner allegedly threatened to leave the club if his captain was sold.

Even if Palace can sign a ready-made replacement in January, Glasner is determined to keep his captain for the entire season, thus potentially risking a rift with Parish if Liverpool come forward with what is deemed an acceptable offer in January.

The Reds may also face competition from Real Madrid to land the ex-Chelsea man, and a separate report has claimed that Guehi is now open to joining the 15-time European champions after 'blaming' Liverpool for his collapsed move in the summer.

However, the Premier League winners remain confident that Guehi will be a Liverpool player in 2026 - either in January or the summer - as Konate is looking increasingly likely to leave on a free transfer for Real Madrid.

Guehi to Liverpool in January: What has Slot said about a transfer?

In the wake of Leoni's crushing blow, Slot was inevitably asked about whether Liverpool would reignite their interest in Guehi in January ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Palace themselves, but he played down talk of a quicker-than-expected signing.

"That all depends on whether we get more injuries, yes or no, and if there's a chance in the market - all the answers I always give," the Dutchman said at his pre-game press conference.

"But I would not prefer to go to 24/25 players. Also, if it is ever a situation where I lead a team that has four or five injuries throughout the whole season, it might be a bit smarter to go to 24/25, but recent history showed that [we have a good record] until now.

"We don't have five or six injuries at the same time throughout the whole season, if that would be the situation then we would end up with 15/16 players and that would normally be difficult.

"So it's a choice I like to make but I think it is also a financial choice that we as a club have to make. If we want to keep these top players, we cannot have 24/25 of them."

Guehi will make his 165th appearance for Palace against the champions on Saturday, and he has played every minute for the FA Cup winners in the 2025-26 top-flight campaign after his disheartening transfer collapse.