Crystal Palace have secured a loan deal for Igor Julio from their arch-rivals Brighton as they brace themselves for the potential departure of Marc Guehi to Liverpool. The Reds have got the green light to sign the £35million Guehi and are looking to do a medical in London. The Palace skipper, who netted in their 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday, has been keen to move to Merseyside.

Despite entering the final year of his contract, Palace boss Oliver Glasner has repeatedly expressed his wish to retain the central defender. However, chairman Steve Parish has indicated that the club may need to sell to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer. The south London outfit have been negotiating the structure of a deal and appear to be preparing for life without their star defender.

They've been linked with numerous centre-backs recently, including Manchester City's Manuel Akanji and Monaco's Mohammed Salisu, but have now opted for Igor. Palace have agreed a season-long loan with Brighton for the Brazilian, with personal terms unlikely to pose any problems.

West Ham also had their sights set on the 27-year-old defender, having agreed to offload Nayef Aguerd to Marseille for £20m.

Liverpool's interest in Guehi is well known, and as a result, Palace have been exploring the market for centre-backs. They've been linked with Rennes' Jeremy Jacquet and Toulouse's Jaydee Canvot, but seem to favour Premier League experience.

Igor made the move to Brighton from Fiorentina two years ago and has clocked up 50 appearances for the club. However, he's fallen out of favour under Fabian Hurzeler, who is willing to let him go to their rivals.

Liverpool have already secured the services of defender Giovanni Leoni from Parma for £26m, but are looking for additional reinforcements at the back, with Joe Gomez being the only other alternative to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

If they do secure Guehi, it will be against Glasner's wishes. "I told the chairman we have to keep Marc if we want to play a successful season," he revealed to BBC Sport following the 3-0 victory over Villa on Sunday.

"We have no chance to find the right replacement in one day. We all agreed that we just sell Marc if we have the right replacement in the building.

"We wanted a replacement by 1 July. It is 31 August and we have no replacement. We have this agreement so it is clear from me. He is such a crucial player. He is one of our key players - he is our captain."