Liverpool are reportedly planning to wait until next summer before making another move for Marc Guehi after a deadline day deal for the centre back fell through. The Reds are willing to call the bluff of other European clubs who could sign the Crystal Palace captain on a pre-contract agreement early next year.
The England defender looked primed for a move on the final day of the summer window, with a price of approximately £35million agreed upon. But a lack of a bona fide replacement and Palace head coach Oliver Glasner’s stance saw the move to Anfield fall apart. Guehi has no plans to extend his contract with Palace, which runs out next summer, and it seems the current Premier League champions are content to bide their time and take any links to other clubs as a smokescreen before hopefully snapping up the 25-year-old on a free.
Guehi is reported to be upset about how his deal fell through. He had even recorded a farewell message for Palace fans, only for the London club to cancel the deal due to manager Glasner’s belief that there was insufficient time to secure an adequate replacement.
Now, the Reds are all set to wait until next summer, as per The Telegraph. They also won’t be coaxed into parting with a fee for Guehi in January in light of links to Real Madrid, believing such rumours are acting as a smokescreen to get them to offer a sum. European clubs could sign Guehi to a pre-contract agreement at the turn of the year, but for Arne Slot’s side, it was either a summer transfer or a free move in 2026.
Head coach Glasner opened up about the conditions that eventually saw Guehi’s move to Anfield collapse, revealing at the end of August: “We had a meeting in March where we talked about the situation so again we know how the situation is and we have an agreement that we could sell Marc if we have the right replacement in.”
Palace did complete a deadline day move for Jaydee Canvot, but the French starlet is just 19 years old and has less than a full season of senior football under his belt.
“We wanted to have this replacement at the beginning of the pre-season to be independent from this situation,” Glasner continued. “That was on July 9 (the season started), it’s August 31 and there is no replacement in the building so it’s clear one part of the agreement is not fulfilled that means we can’t sell Marc.”
Guehi, who has remained a regular starter for Palace this season, was also in England’s starting XI to face Andorra on Saturday. He played 76 minutes alongside Dan Burn as the Three Lions won 2-0 to preserve their 100 per cent record in World Cup qualifying.
England travel to Serbia on Tuesday as they look to move one step closer to next summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States. After that game, Guehi will return to London for Palace’s league match against Sunderland on Saturday.
Liverpool still have the experienced pair of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate commanding their defence, although Konate’s contract also ends next summer and he has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Joe Gomez remains at Anfield, while Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni joined from Parma in August.