Liverpool’s chances of signing Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi may have significantly improved, amid reports in Spain that Real Madrid, credited with interest in signing the Englishman, are out of the running for financial reasons.
Guéhi’s Palace contract expires at the end of the season and he’s made clear his intention is to leave Selhurst Park and explore a new opportunity—a stance that has made him one of the hottest commodities on the market.
Liverpool came agonisingly close to signing Guéhi at the end of the last transfer window, only to see the proposed deal fall through when Palace didn’t have enough time to recruit a suitable replacement—a move for Brighton’s Igor Julio had been lined up but he ended up joining West Ham on loan instead.
The Reds were always expected to reignite that interest, either in January if Palace could be persuaded to sell cheaply, or ahead of next season when the England international hits free agency.
But a player of Guéhi’s ability is never not going to catch the attention of multiple leading clubs.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have been heavily linked, though it’s the latter who appear to be most in need of a defensive interest boost, despite the summer arrival of Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth.
Veteran pair Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba have both suffered with injuries in recent months—the latter has spent significant time on the sidelines—and Éder Militão has sustained anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in both knees over recent years.
However, AS writes that Guéhi is “moving further away from Spain” as his arrival at the Santiago Bernabéu is now considered “virtually impossible” for Los Blancos.
It is reported that Real Madrid simply cannot afford Guéhi. Although a move would come without a transfer fee if Crystal Palace refuse to sell in January, it is by no means a free transfer like the commonly used term would suggest. Not only are Guéhi’s salary demands “high”, free agents can usually command a lucrative signing bonus from their new club in lieu of a fee being paid to a selling club.
It might be premature to completely rule Real Madrid out just yet, as Guéhi’s future will no doubt play out like a game of cat and mouse in the media over the coming months. But it certainly seems at this stage that Liverpool have an advantage, while Bayern Munich are considered another “frontrunner”. Ironically, Madrid could target Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano as an alternative.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Hand Liverpool Advantage in Marc Guehi Race—Report.
