Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi is reportedly ready to run down his contract to land a stunning move to Barcelona or Real Madrid.
The 24-year-old has written his name into Palace folklore after his side’s FA Cup final win over Manchester City on Saturday, ending the club’s long wait for a first major trophy.
But speculation is mounting that centre-back Guehi will be leaving Selhurst Park soon, as a host of Premier League teams queue up to secure his signature.
The England international’s contract expires in 2026, and many expect the Eagles will receive big-money bids for his services this summer.
However, The Sun claims that he will let his deal expire next year in a bid to try and join Spanish giants Barcelona or Madrid.
The report adds that Newcastle United are the favourites to land the Ivory Coast-born player, after trying and failing to sign the former Chelsea man repeatedly last summer.
Incidentally, Madrid and Barca are said to have kept tabs on Guehi’s progress, and the fact that he has recently renewed his Ivorian passport will make him ‘more attractive’ to La Liga teams.
Since Brexit, British stars now count as non European Union but The Sun states players with African nationality are effectively classed as Spanish nations due to the Cotonou Agreement – a deal struck between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
That, the report adds, could be key to a ‘sensational’ transfer to La Liga.
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Premier League sides jostle for Guehi’s signature
TEAMtalk previously reported that Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest have shortlisted Guehi as a concrete target for their backline.
Palace may prefer to cash in on Guehi this summer rather than losing him for free in 2026 and the Tricky Trees may be waiting in the wings to pounce.
Elsewhere, our sources confirmed that Newcastle have leapfrogged Chelsea in the pecking order to sign the England defender.
The Magpies saw a £65 million (€77,2m, $86m) offer, with add-ons, rejected ahead of the 2024/25 season but their interest in Guehi has not wavered.
But with the Blues missing out on Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen, who will join Madrid this summer for £50m (€59.5m, $66.4m), they may re-double their efforts to recruit Guehi in the coming weeks and months.
Madrid do have some aging defenders in David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger, both 32, but a move for Guehi in 2026 may come too soon.
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