The rock-solid £15m centre-back Crystal Palace could sign to replace Newcastle United-linked Marc Geuhi

Crystal Palace are likely to lose Marc Guehi to Newcastle United in a record deal, leaving them with limited time to replace their dependable centre-back. Given his standout performances in last season’s Premier League, combined with his impressive display at the heart of the defence for the Three Lions at Euro 2024, it was always going to be difficult for the Eagles to keep him for another season.

Guehi was so impressive that he was considered one of the best players in the tournament and even attracted interest from Real Madrid. There are few players on the market that Crystal Palace can afford who are likely to provide the same quality as the English defender - but one potential replacement is France international Pierre Kalulu.

The former Olympique Lyon defender has requested a transfer from AC Milan after limited playing time during pre-season under new coach Paulo Fonseca. AC Milan recently purchased Serbian centre-back Strahinja Pavlović from RB Salzburg, and it appears that the Rossoneri plan to pair him with former Chelsea man Fikayo Tomori in central defence.

Kalulu is a quality player. The 24-year-old was one of the unsung heroes when Milan ended their Serie A title drought in the 2021/22 season. He is comfortable playing as a right-back in addition to his natural role as a centre-back, and his style of play has drawn comparisons to legendary Juventus and France defender Lilian Thuram.

Speaking of Juventus, reports in the Italian media suggest that the Old Lady of Italian football has made a bid of £3million for a loan with an option to buy at £15 million for Kalulu. Offering a better proposal to AC Milan to secure the wantaway defender shouldn’t be too difficult for a Premier League club. Palace are an exciting team, and recent years have shown that players are eager to move to London. Oliver Glasner’s style of play adds extra incentive for players to join.

AC Milan might even prefer trading with a club outside of their Serie A rivals. Glasner should act quickly to express interest in Kalulu, giving Milan options while Crystal Palace’s owners negotiate with Newcastle United to increase the transfer fee they would receive from the Magpies.

In Kalulu, the Austrian manager would have a ball-playing defender well-suited to the style he’s trying to implement at Selhurst Park. Securing him on loan with an option to buy is a low-risk move since Palace can always decline the option if Kalulu fails to deliver.

If they can pull off such a deal, it would be seen as a massive coup and a statement of intent from a team widely regarded as mid-table yet consistently punching above its weight. When Guehi first arrived, few expected him to develop into the player he has become, but it’s a credit to the nurturing environment at Palace. Kalulu would likely have taken notice of this.