Liverpool are reportedly giving serious consideration to making an approach for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi in the summer.
Jurgen Klopp's side currently hold a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League standings, albeit having played one game more than Manchester City.
Furthermore, the Merseyside giants possess the best defensive record in the division, conceding 18 times in 21 matches, yet speculation persists regarding changes to the squad at the end of the season.
Much focus is being placed on the future of Mohamed Salah when the Egypt international has 18 months remaining on his contract, but signing a new centre-back remains towards the top of Klopp's to-do list.
There is uncertainty over the future of Joel Matip, who is out of contract in June and has already been ruled out until 2024-25 due to serious knee injury.
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However, Klopp would have already been aware that he faced starting next season with two central defenders at 33 years of age - the other being Virgil van Dijk - if a decision is made to retain the services of Matip.
As a result, younger alternatives have been linked with a move to Liverpool, also to compete with the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Jarell Quansah when the pair have the potential to be mainstays in the defensive ranks for years to come.
According to The Mirror, Guehi may be targeted by Liverpool when they eventually make a concrete decision on their priority defensive target.
The 23-year-old has been a huge success at Palace since making the switch from Chelsea in 2021, developing into a regular in the England squad during that time.
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Guehi has made a total of 106 appearances in his two-and-a-half years at Selhurst Park, contributing five goals and two assists as well as becoming Palace's key man.
Nevertheless, with the Eagles competing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, renewing his contract past 2026 looks highly unlikely at this stage.
A fee in the region of £60m has previously been mentioned for a player who has also been linked with a switch to Manchester United.
Liverpool have also been credited with a long-standing interest in Chelsea's Levi Colwill, although it looks highly unlikely that the Blues would consider the sale of a player who has held down a regular spot in the starting lineup since returning from a loan stint with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Darren Plant
