Crystal Palace are ready to listen to offers for centre back Marc Guéhi in the January transfer window, with a report claiming Barcelona and Real Madrid are in the strongest positions to secure his signature.
Guéhi was inches away from a summer switch to Liverpool, who agreed a fee with Palace and conducted medical checks on the England international, but his current employers ultimately pulled the plug in the dying embers of the transfer window.
The 25-year-old is now in the final year of his contract and is widely expected to depart Palace at some stage in 2026. According to Sky Sports News, the Eagles are prepared to entertain “serious offers” for Guéhi as soon as January.
The issue there, however, is the scale of the offers likely to arrive. Clubs are unlikely to part with big fees for a player who they can sign for free just a few months later, meaning Palace may ultimately decide there is better value in keeping him for the remainder of the campaign.
It is for that reason that Liverpool are not expected to try and bid for Guéhi in January, instead preferring to try and sign him on a free transfer in the summer. Crucially, Premier League clubs must wait until the end of the season to speak with Guéhi, but overseas sides can open talks as early as January.
All three of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are expected to try and land Guéhi’s signature in January and will have several months to try and strike a deal before Liverpool are legally permitted to enter the race.
Guéhi, for his part, is not thought to be looking at an exit from Palace in January. He is playing regularly and likely to seal a spot in England’s World Cup squad, aiding his chances of sealing a move to a number of elite sides across Europe.
Should Guéhi avoid injury, he will have his pick of clubs to join in the summer. He could choose to reject all advances and wait for Liverpool to reignite their pursuit, but the calibre of clubs set to approach him in January may make that difficult.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona, Real Madrid Have Marc Guehi ‘Advantage’ Over Liverpool.
