Liverpool and Crystal Palace are in a stalemate, Rennes star becomes a potential replacement

According to the Independent, Liverpool and Crystal Palace still have a £10 million difference on Mark Gerch's transfer fee. The Reds insisted on paying no more than £35 million for the England international with only one year left in the contract, while Crystal Palace held on to the £45 million base price - the difference happened to be the estimated value of Rennes defender Jeremy Yakai. In Arnold Slott's tactical territory, Gerch is regarded as the perfect puzzle to solve the hidden dangers of the back: it can complement Van Dijk's experience, and his three-center-back left-wing attributes are seamlessly connected with Austrian coach Glasner's system. Opta data shows that last season, Gerch ranked among the top 10% of the Premier League central defenders with 6.3 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and the confrontation success rate of up to 87% highlights its need to meet Liverpool's high-pressing needs.

This tug-of-war reflects the inflation reality of the Premier League central defender market. When Manchester United withdrew from the competition and Real Madrid stared at Connate, Liverpool's signing of Parma teenager Leoni was more like an investment in the future. FBref comparison report shows that Gerch averaged 1.9 interceptions per game last season were 0.7 more than Conat, while the Frenchman's frequent muscle injuries made him miss 38% of the league. Senior team reporter James Pierce pointed out in the Echo column: "Van Dijk needs a partner who can share organizational pressure, not another young man who needs to be cared for" - this explains why Slott would rather give up his local youth training, Quianza, and pursue Gerci who can plug and play.

transfer expert Romano revealed that Crystal Palace has initiated Yakai's contact process, and this "chain reaction" operation has precedent in the 2014 Lovren transfer case. But Gerch's value is far more than a tactical board: he is a product of the training mechanism for the Premier League's local players. After being abandoned by Chelsea at the age of 14, he completed his transformation at Swansea and Crystal Palace. This grassroots counterattack narrative forms a wonderful resonance with Anfield's "boot chamber spirit". Perhaps as Athletics analyzed, when Manchester City spent 90 million for Gwadi Orle, Liverpool were participating in the Central Defender arms race with a smarter strategy - provided they could convince Hawks chairman Steve Parish to give in before August 30.