Marc Guehi’s transfer from Crystal Palace to Liverpool falls through

Liverpool’s £35million move for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi has collapsed at the 11th hour, the PA news agency understands.

Palace’s aborted bid to land Igor Julio as a replacement is understood to be the reason why the Eagles pulled the plug on the deadline-day deal.

Guehi, whose contract at Selhurst Park runs out at the end of the season, had completed a medical and looked set to swell manager Arne Slot’s defensive options.

Despite the late hitch over Guehi, the anticipated arrival of Sweden striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle – in a British record £125m deal – would cap an extraordinary transfer window for the Premier League champions.

Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong are among those to have already signed since the end of last season in a significant summer outlay.

Palace had brought in Toulouse centre-back Jaydee Canvot earlier on deadline day but were unwilling to let Guehi leave without a further addition – and Julio’s decision to move to West Ham effectively scuppered the deal.

The Eagles were already reluctant to let Guehi leave for anything less than £40million, but with the 25-year-old in the final year of his contract, they had grudgingly accepted Liverpool’s valuation.

Guehi will now return to south London, where he appeared to have played his final game on Sunday when he scored in his side’s 3-0 thrashing of Aston Villa.

Liverpool looked to have agreed a deal for midfielder Harvey Elliott to join Villa on deadline day, although official confirmation was yet to come.

The Reds have already brought in more than £200m in sales this summer following the departures of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher, Tyler Morton, Ben Gannon-Doak and Nat Phillips.