Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner was adamant that Marc Guéhi remains “100%” committed to the Eagles even in the face of growing transfer speculation linking the centre back with a move to Liverpool.
Guéhi’s future is riddled with uncertainty. The England international with just one year remaining on his Palace contract has been openly put up for sale this summer by the club’s chairman if he continues to refuse to sign an extension. Guéhi has reportedly agreed the terms of a contract with Liverpool, who are thought to be in discussions with Palace over a suitable fee.
Amid these growing whispers, there was some speculation that Glasner would opt to overlook Guéhi and Eberechi Eze—another darling of this summer’s gossip columns—for Palace’s opening Premier League fixture against Chelsea. Both started and shone in an impressive 0–0 draw away to the freshly crowned Club World Cup champions.
“There are a lot of rumours about Eberechi Eze and Marc Guéhi but they were 100% with this group in Crystal Palace and they have proved that in a big way,” Glasner boasted post-game.
“It shows this group have got such great characters. We have no influence on all the noise and rumours around us. But we know what we want to do and how we want to play. This is what we want to show every single game.
“The players did great today, they showed that everyone is 100% committed to Crystal Palace, otherwise it is not possible to get a draw here against a very good Chelsea side. You are talking about rumours.”
In the aftermath of the final whistle, Glasner did appear to be ignored by Guéhi, turning away from his manager to walk down the tunnel at Stamford Bridge. The Austrian boss brushed off the awkward interaction.
“It’s good advice to the kids to not always believe what you read, especially on the internet,” he huffed. “Who knows if the rumours that are written are the truth? Everybody tells people things for their own advantage. I watch the players every single day in training, if most of the things that are written about them are true, the team couldn’t perform like this, be together and committed to each other like they are—it’s just not possible.”
The latest of those rumours was delivered by The Athletic’s David Ornstein on Sunday. During a TV appearance for NBC, the transfer specialist revealed that Palace are “looking for alternatives” at centre back in the event that Liverpool secure a deal for Guéhi.
The Reds are thought to be making their own contingency plans. Brentford captain Nathan Collins has emerged as a surprise defensive option for the reigning Premier League champions, although they will face competition from Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘100%’—Crystal Palace Boss Responds to Marc Guehi Liverpool Speculation.
