Marc Guehi captained Crystal Palace when they won the season's curtain-raiser against the Merseyside club in August.
Within 34 days, Palace skipper the defender will be able to join a club abroad when his deal runs out on the summer.
The defender can agree to a pre-contract agreement with a team overseas when the winter transfer window commences on New Year's Day 2026.
Liverpool passed up the opportunity to purchase the Three Lions defender for £35m in the summer. The transfer saga, which dragged on during the transfer period, concluded when Palace were not in a position to sign a suitable replacement.
It resulted in the Selhurst Park side forgoing a sizable sum for the player with only one year left on his contract, but retained their key player after losing another star to Arsenal a short time before.
The club remain interested to renew their pursuit, though there are no guarantees the move will materialise.
The centre-back now has other options and it is understood top clubs in Europe have already registered an interest.
Guehi, though, is not the sole prominent defender who might be on the market on a free deal next the coming window.
The Merseysiders' own French defender has also been linked with a switch to Real Madrid at the end of his current deal, possibly emulating in the path of former defensive partner Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, rumors on Friday morning indicated Los Blancos have ended their reported pursuit, with no concrete interest evident.
His uncertain future has been often mentioned as a factor for his dip in performance.
The Spanish club could lose players Antonio Rudiger, 32, and the Austrian, 33, this summer with each about to enter the last stretch of their contracts.
It positions Guehi and the Frenchman as options if they are to join the free market to strengthen at defense - a approach they have employed several times in recent seasons.
The Defender Fits The Club's Strategy
The La Liga side do hold an attraction in the Englishman and he fits a clear team requirement at the back.
Dean Huijsen has stepped up as a regular, but Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger have both had fitness concerns. Rudiger is now in his 30s, another option has not fully convinced and the veteran has slowed down after a extended period on the sidelines.
Guehi, a established English top-flight player with personality, speed and plenty of good decisions, is seen as the kind of stabilising presence who can challenge straight away for playing time.
His case fits alongside the club's wider transfer policy: multiple types of transfers. First, the young talent who can grow into a star. Second, the cost-free but established individual, where substantial bonuses substitute for fees.
And third, the high-cost acquisition reserved for particular players viewed as instant starters.
