Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has admitted Marc Guéhi will have his pick of clubs to join next summer as he appeared to rule out a January sale of the in-demand centre back.
Guéhi, whose contract expires at the end of the season, was on the cusp of a £35 million ($46.1 million) move to Liverpool during the summer transfer window after Parish had publicly admitted his expiring contract meant he would have to be sold.
However, Parish eventually pulled the plug on the deal, openly confessing the money was not worth the potential impact of losing Guéhi, even if it meant he would depart on a free transfer in 2026.
While suitors like Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona are all chasing Guéhi’s signature on a free transfer, there have been plenty of reports suggesting at least one of those clubs could try to beat the rush with a cut-price January bid.
Parish, however, appears to have ruled out parting ways with Guéhi ahead of schedule, telling Men in Blazers: “We needed to keep Marc because the difference between us having a stellar season and having a relegation-threatened season is us winning five games or not.
“So the margins in the Premier League are very tight and you have to remember that Michael [Olise] has gone, we’re OK, Ebbs [Eberechi Eze] has gone, we’re OK, Wilfred [Zaha] went, we’re OK.
“There’s a limit to how much you can keep doing that before you break down the fabric of the team.”
Bayern Munich are understood to be the first side to make formal contact with Guéhi’s entourage over a possible free transfer in 2026, but the 25-year-old is expected to take his time and evaluate all the options available to him.
The chance to sign Guéhi for nothing is one that many teams are keen to take. While Parish recognises his side are ultimately going to lose Guéhi—both the player and the financial asset—he has no regrets about his decision.
“It was a very marginal call,” he reflected. “Marc was great about it as a person.
“Liverpool made the offer. It was a massive club, he was obviously interested in going. But he was fine about it, staying, if that was the decision we made.
“Obviously it means all of the ball is in his court tremendously as a player and he’s got the choice of wherever he wants to go. It was a very difficult one but I think definitely the right one.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Crystal Palace Chief Drops Marc Guehi Transfer Bombshell.