Liverpool is set to compete against Manchester United in the race to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.

Marc Guehi, the talented Crystal Palace defender, has received a call-up to the England senior squad. However, his future at Palace is uncertain due to interest from Liverpool and Manchester United. The Telegraph reports that United’s prospective sporting director, Dan Ashworth, has been a long-time admirer of Guehi. Liverpool, who are also in need of a sporting director and a new head coach, have identified Guehi as a potential summer target. The battle for Guehi’s signature may depend on whether Ashworth can be appointed in time for the summer transfer window, as he is known to be a fan of the player.

In other news, Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe is set to take a significant pay cut when he joins Real Madrid this summer. According to the Daily Mail, Mbappe will earn €15 million net (£12.8m) at Real Madrid, down from his current salary of 25m euros net (£21.4m) at PSG. Despite the pay cut, Mbappe will still be the highest earner at Real Madrid and will receive a substantial signing-on fee, believed to be over 100m euros (£85.6m), as well as retaining 80% of his image rights on new commercial deals.

Meanwhile, Liverpool is already planning for life after Jurgen Klopp as the German manager nears his exit. The club is in search of a new head coach and a sporting director. The Mirror reports that Federic Massara, former director of football at AC Milan, and Florent Ghisolfi, sporting director at Nice, are among the candidates being considered for the sporting director position. Massara, who played a key role in building the team that won the Serie A title in 2022, is currently available for immediate appointment, while Ghisolfi has experience in managerial appointments but may face resistance from his current club.

Lastly, Fulham may be open to letting Joao Palhinha leave in the summer transfer window. Despite recently signing a new contract, Fulham’s vice-chairman, Tony Khan, has stated that the club will consider sensible offers for the Portuguese midfielder. Palhinha, who was close to joining Bayern Munich last summer, has attracted interest from other Premier League clubs. Khan acknowledges the talent of the 28-year-old defensive midfielder and understands that top clubs are keeping a close eye on him.