Marc Guehi is reportedly ready to go back on his choice to join Liverpool – despite coming within inches of signing for the Premier League champions on deadline day.
The 25-year-old centre back underwent a medical with the Reds after a £35million fee was agreed with Crystal Palace, with a five-year contract drawn up. A deal sheet was also submitted to the Premier League in good time.
But the move collapsed when Palace were unable to secure a replacement defender in time, forcing the club to block the sale.
That left Guehi to continue as captain at Selhurst Park, while Liverpool were essentially left short in the position having failed to find an alternative.
Guehi, though, is still a free agent in the summer and is allowed to negotiate a deal with foreign clubs as early as January with a view of moving there in the summer. He could also depart in January for a smaller fee.
And, according to The Mirror, it has emerged that Geuhi could prefer a move to a different European giant to Liverpool – one that has been quite the nemesis of the Reds in recent times.
Marc Guehi is ready to reject a move to Liverpool in favour of joining a different European giant, according to a report
The defender completed a medical at Anfield before Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the deal at the 11th hour
It is reported that Guehi has told his agent that he wants to move to Real Madrid when he is allowed to depart Palace.
He is said to be excited at the prospect of playing abroad, and could well end up partnering current Reds defender Ibrahima Konate, who is also out of contract at the end of the season and yet to sign a new deal.
The France defender has also been linked with Madrid, which is also where former Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold currently plies his trade.
Liverpool’s Arne Slot said earlier this week that he felt for Guehi after the transfer collapsed. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: ‘For us it was of course a disappointment, for the player I assume, as well, because he was expecting to come to us.
‘I try to put myself in the player’s shoes, but that can happen with a player from us as well, maybe a player wanted to leave but in the end couldn’t because we couldn’t get a player we wanted, that happens in football many times and the good thing in football is, especially after the international break, everybody comes back, accepts the situation and knows he has to perform well.
‘But if a player wants a transfer that he doesn’t get, then you always feel for him. If it’s a player of my team, you talk to him, make sure he gets his energy back and keeps going again, and that is probably what has happened at Palace with Marc Guehi.’
The England international joined Palace from Chelsea in 2021 and has since become one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers, featuring for Gareth Southgate’s side at Euro 2024.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner made clear in the final few days of the transfer window that he did not want to lose Guehi without a replacement lined up, stressing the defender was ‘necessary’ to the club’s hopes of enjoying a successful season.
He instead reportedly wants to join Real Madrid, enthralled by the idea of playing abroad
‘We had a meeting in March where we talked about the situation and we had an agreement that we could sell Marc if we had the right replacement in,’ Glasner explained. ‘We wanted to have this replacement at the beginning of pre-season to be independent.
‘That was on July 9 when 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. It’s not a wish or gift for Oliver Glasner, it’s necessary for playing a successful season.’
Guehi, who has 25 England caps, scored in Palace’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa earlier on in the transfer window, but declined to address the transfer speculation afterwards. ‘All I know is when you score goals like that it is always down to team performance,’ he said.
The collapse came amid a frantic close to the window that still saw Liverpool complete a British-record £125m deal for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, and they also picked up Florian Wirtz for £116m.
