Image Credits: Imago Images
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi will be able to sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in January.
The England centre-back is set to be one of the most sought-after players when the transfer market reopens on January 1.
The 25-year-old has already informed Crystal Palace that he will not be signing a new deal when his current contract expires in the summer.
“I think Marc has already told us that he doesn’t sign a new contract, so he will leave next year,” Palace head coach Oliver Glasner said.
“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.”
Guehi’s impending free-agent status has attracted interest from some of Europe’s top clubs, particularly after he was reportedly left frustrated when a proposed move to Liverpool fell through on deadline day in September while he was undergoing a medical in London.
Although Guehi is highly unlikely to make a mid-season move, he is eligible to discuss and finalise a pre-contract from January 1 to join a foreign club once his deal expires.
However, he cannot agree terms with another Premier League team until he enters the final month of his Palace contract.
Liverpool head into the January window short at centre-back, with Giovanni Leoni sidelined long-term and uncertainty over Ibrahima Konate’s future as his contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
According to The Times, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich have joined Liverpool in the race for Guehi.
Arsenal showed interest, but he was concerned about limited playing time due to their established centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel.
Similarly, he ruled out a January move to Tottenham Hotspur.
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