Marc Guehi has told Crystal Palace he will not sign a new contract and will leave the club next year, manager Oliver Glasner revealed to reporters on Friday.
Guehi’s current contract at Selhurst Park expires next summer, and Liverpool remain interested in securing his signature, having agreed a £35 million deal before Palace pulled the plug.
The centre-back recently insisted the drama of his failed exit was behind him, but he still sees his future away from the Eagles, informing them this will be his last season with the club.
Glasner told reporters, including Sky Sports: “I think Marc has already told us that he doesn’t sign a new contract, so he will leave next year.
“The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, ‘No, I want to make something different’. And that’s normal.
“And for us, it’s how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that’s all about how we are talking together.”
Liverpool remain in the frame for Guehi, who has also attracted reported interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich – all of whom he could agree a pre-contract with from January 1.
Palace could still secure a fee if they were to sell in January, though, for Liverpool, it would be a cut-price return as he would then have only six months left on his contract.
However, the reliable David Ornstein of The Athletic, speaking to NBC Sports, stated earlier this month that he is “not expecting” Liverpool to enter the market for a centre-back in the upcoming window.
Instead, they would likely return for Guehi next summer on a free transfer if there is no drastic change to their current availability at centre-back.
Liverpool will be hopeful that Guehi’s commitment to them remains either six or 12 months on, with the 25-year-old ticking the boxes for the ball-playing centre-back in Arne Slot‘s system.
If a January transfer is pursued, a lot will depend on Palace’s stance, as it did in the summer, with the Reds not to bow to any inflated figure that is not representative of Guehi’s upcoming free agent status.
He could be the injection the team needs in defence as the season heads into its final few months, but the club’s decision makers have proven they are content to be patient with their top targets.
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