Liverpool appear to be leading the charge to secure the services of Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi, who has also been attracting attention from Newcastle United. Guehi, who has only one year remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park, is reportedly available for a fee between £40-50 million.
While Chelsea’s name has been mentioned in the context of Guehi, especially after Levi Colwill’s unfortunate ACL injury, it seems their attention is focused elsewhere. Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca affirmed after a pre-season win over Bayer Leverkusen that acquiring a central defender is a priority, though Guehi might not be their primary target.
The centre-back initially moved from Chelsea to Crystal Palace in 2021 for £18 million, following a promising loan at Swansea City. Since then, he’s not only captained Palace to FA Cup glory but has also cemented his status as a regular for England and one of the Premier League’s top defenders.
Newcastle previously attempted to lure Guehi to St James’ Park last summer but failed to reach a consensus with Palace. Their current transfer endeavours are reportedly more focused on AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw, making a switch to Anfield more feasible for Guehi. Arne Slot’s Liverpool side, fresh off winning the Premier League, are said to be ‘favourites’ to land the English defender, with their interest seemingly resolute over the past year.
Adding to this, Chelsea are believed to be ‘prioritising other targets’ in light of Colwill’s injury, while Newcastle are concentrating on bolstering their attacking options, with Brentford’s Yoane Wissa on their radar.
Nonetheless, the negotiation for Guehi’s transfer presents complexities, considering his significant role under Palace coach Oliver Glasner, who is also out of contract next year. Speaking before Palace’s Community Shield clash against Liverpool, Glasner remarked, “Marc and I share the same fate with our contracts, but I can’t speak for Marc.”
As Liverpool’s pursuit intensifies, it remains to be seen whether they can finalise a deal or whether other suitors will make a decisive move in the coming weeks.
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