Liverpool are set to face competition from Manchester City in the race to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who will be available on a free transfer next summer
Liverpool face new competition for Marc Guehi's signature
Liverpool face new competition for Marc Guehi's signature(Image: Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Manchester City are poised to challenge Liverpool in the race to sign Marc Guehi on a free transfer next summer, potentially sparking a massive transfer tug-of-war between two of the Premier League's top clubs for the England defender.
Guehi, 25, was on the brink of a £35m deadline day switch to Liverpool, but the deal fell through at the eleventh hour when Crystal Palace changed their mind on the switch. This has opened the door for other clubs as Guehi will become a free agent when his contract runs out next summer.
The situation has caught the attention of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Juventus, as Europe's elite clubs are all prepared to swoop in for the Palace skipper. However, there is also a strong pull to remain in the Premier League as Liverpool plan to renew their interest next summer, believing they have a significant edge in the race to secure Guehi's services.
Now, they must contend with serious interest from City, as Pep Guardiola's side are huge fans of the stylish centre-back, reports the Mirror.
It was evident to all clubs during the last window that Guehi had set his sights on either joining Liverpool or seeing out his contract and moving on a free next summer. As such, City were not contenders in the last window and did not compete with Liverpool's interest.
However, this is likely to change next summer. There is also no possibility of Guehi making a move in January as he has reaffirmed his commitment to Palace for this season, and the fans have shown him immense support due to the way he handled himself throughout the transfer saga.
Slot spoke out on the failed move last week. He told reporters: “I think it would be ridiculous if I’m going to deny we were close to signing him. That is so out in the open that that would be ridiculous.
“These things happen in football, it happened to our players maybe in the past as well that they thought they were so close to signing somewhere else and then in the last moment, things change. This can happen.
“For me, we would like to sign him of course, because we were in for him. Like I have said many times, if we feel we can strengthen the team with a chance in the market, we never hesitated to do so and that’s what we tried to do."
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Guehi's potential availability on a free transfer has sparked a scramble among clubs, given the rarity of such a high-quality player being available without a transfer fee.
Chelsea have been linked with Guehi due to Enzo Maresca's admiration for him, but it seems unlikely he would return to his former club where he rose through the academy ranks.
However, there is significant interest from overseas. Real Madrid, who like to spend big in attacking areas and eye cheaper deals for defenders - like the move that took Trent Alexander-Arnold to the Spanish capital from Anfield - are reportedly interested.
Barcelona are also said to be keen on Guehi, who holds an Ivorian passport, making him an EU player in Spain and thus an even more attractive prospect for the La Liga heavyweights.
Bayern Munich, having successfully signed Harry Kane, are also believed to be interested in securing Guehi for free. Foreign clubs can begin negotiations with Guehi from 1 January and secure a pre-contract agreement, potentially giving them an edge over Premier League teams.