Crystal Palace could be in for a busy few weeks ahead of the start of the new Premier League campaign as they are potentially forced to seek a replacement for in-demand Marc Guehi.

The Eagles are interested in signing Torino’s Perr Schuurs, according to the Evening Standard, and journalist Dean Jones believes he could be the perfect player to replace Guehi at Selhurst Park

What is the latest with Marc Guehi?

Football Insider reports that Liverpool are ready to battle it out with Premier League rivals Newcastle United for Guehi, who is valued in the region of around £60m by Palace.

That fee would allow Roy Hodgson’s side to bring in a high-quality replacement, and Jones is not surprised Schuurs is wanted by so many of Europe’s elite clubs.

Speaking to FootballFanCast, the reporter said:

“If Guehi was to leave, and they got the money in for him that they want, they’ll have to scout around quickly to find a talent as good – and Schuurs is a big talent.

“He’s got a great ability to read the game, so no surprise at all that he’s been on the radar of the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool – he has a profile that fits those sides well.”

Schuurs is under contract with Torino for another three years, with the option of another, meaning the Serie A side are under no real pressure to cash in unless their reported €40m (£34.2m) valuation is met.

How good is Torino defender Perr Schuurs?

Schuurs joined Torino from Ajax last August and played 30 times in 2022-23 for a side boasting the fifth-best defensive record in the Italian top flight.

The Netherlands U21 international rated particularly highly in metrics such as possession won and aerial duels won, with The Analyst ranking him in the top 7% and 23% respectively among defenders across Europe’s top five leagues.

For comparison, Guehi – eight months younger than Schuurs at 22 – was among the top 10% for possession won and in the bottom 45% for aerial duels won

The youngster’s strengths do not necessarily lie in winning the ball in the air, but he was also outperformed by Schuurs in terms of defensive actions – tackles, interceptions and blocks – as he was in the bottom 19 percentile and the latter in the bottom 37.

That is not to say Guehi is necessarily a worse player than Schuurs – his huge valuation says as much – but the Dutchman appears a more-than-adequate option to come in for half the price

Indeed, Schuurs also came out on top last season in areas such as passing accuracy (88.1% v 85.3%), take-on success rate (71.4% v 66.7%) and direct goal involvement (0.08 goals or assists per 90, compared to 0.03 for Guehi), which is always a handy bonus for a centre-back.

In an ideal world, Palace would have Schuurs and Guehi lining up alongside each other in one of the most talented partnerships in Europe next season. But if the former Ajax player is instead bought solely as a replacement, then he would be close to the ideal successor for the Eagles.

Crystal Palace: Franca is a Lokonga upgrade

Franca can do what Lokonga couldn’t at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace’s midfield is the subject of a major overhaul. Club servants James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic have announced their departures from Selhurst Park, while Cheick Doucoure is being eyed by Liverpool, who are on the verge of losing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia.

Upon the expiration of his contract at Bournemouth, Jefferson Lerma was signed by the Eagles to kickstart the rebuild, but they’re still in need of more depth.

One name who is constantly linked with a move to the English capital is Matheus Franca, who has been tipped to perform better for Palace than Albert Sambi Lokonga did last season.

What’s the latest on Matheus Franca to Crystal Palace?

Speaking to Football FanCast, reporter Dean Jones was asked if Franca could be considered an upgrade on Lokonga.

He said: “I’d say he’s a step up on Lokonga. I think Lokonga’s found it difficult to assert himself in the Premier League so far. We don’t know, maybe Franca will too, but I think that having someone with a freshness into the league will certainly help as well, and I’d actually be quite confident with him being a success.”

This follows a report published by Fabrizio Romano in his CaughtOffside column, which suggested that Palace are stepping up their pursuit of the 19-year-old by preparing to launch an opening bid.

The piece also details that Palace are ahead of Chelsea in the pecking order for Franca as the Blues are no longer monitoring the situation.

It is understood that Palace view the Brazilian as a possible replacement for Wilfried Zaha, and could cost in excess of £22m.

Would Matheus Franca be an upgrade on Sambi Lokonga?

After only making two Premier League starts in the first half of last season for Arsenal, Lokonga sealed a loan move to Palace in January in search of more regular game time.

It appeared the ideal move as the 23-year-old would get the opportunity to learn under the guidance of Gunners Invincible, Patrick Vieira. However, the move materialised as a big disappointment, as Palace failed to win any of the six Premier League games that Lokonga started.