Marc Guehi is set to leave Crystal Palace, be that this month or in the summer when his contract expires, with a number of top clubs in the Premier League and in Europe all eyeing him up
Marc Guehi is a wanted man with his days at Crystal Palace looking numbered
Marc Guehi is a wanted man with his days at Crystal Palace looking numbered
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The demand for Marc Guehi just seems to be going up and up. Half of the Premier League's big six are eyeing up the Crystal Palace centre-half, who is out of contract in the summer.
It means that his exit from Selhurst Park is all but inevitable, now leaving it as a matter of when. The potential exists for the Eagles to offload their captain before January is up, thus giving them the chance to recoup a fee for the England international.
Go back several summers and Newcastle had a £65million offer turned down by Palace. They will get nowhere near that now, perhaps half of it at best. But whoever lands his services will have an elite performer, one who has skippered the team to FA Cup glory over the past year.
Guehi has established himself as an England regular and, sooner or later, there was going to come a time when he was going to outgrow Palace's ambitions. Liverpool failed to wrap up a deal in the summer, opening the door for their rivals to swoop in.
Whilst the Reds retain an interest they now face serious competition. Manchester City have grown confident that they can secure a deal for Guehi before the month is out as they bid to add more quality to their backline as they eye a late title charge.
Champions elect Arsenal are also ready to join the race for the defender. It remains to be seen whether they'll table an offer this month or eye him on a free in the summer - but will it be too late? We take a look at the clubs in for Guehi and where could be his best landing spot.
Liverpool
They were the first to really go after Guehi and thought they'd got him until Palace pulled the plug at the eleventh hour on deadline day. The spot alongside Virgil van Dijk has always been interchangeable. Currently occupied by Ibrahima Konate, but he's out of contract in the summer as things stand.
Liverpool made moves to sign Marc Guehi in the summer, but missed out late on
Liverpool made moves to sign Marc Guehi in the summer, but missed out late on
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What happens with him could prove to be decisive - should he leave then there becomes a sizeable void that needs filling. Guehi and Van Dijk would have the quality to rival almost any central defensive pairing out there.
Man City
They feel as though they're in the driving seat, but Palace will still need a substantial offer to have their head turned. A bit like Liverpool, City have one elite centre-half in Ruben Dias and then alongside him there is scope for movement and change.
John Stones is into his 30s and struggled with injury whilst others have been linked with moves elsewhere. A move to the Etihad could hand Guehi the chance to have a year under Guardiola whilst the Catalan is determined to transition his squad and handover a group of players capable of challenging for honours before he departs.
Arsenal
In isolation, moving to the Emirates seems a huge draw. The club look poised to become champions of England. Who knows, they could also be champions of Europe. Eberechi Eze, Guehi's former Palace team-mate, is impressing there too.
Despite having Gabriel and William Saliba, Arsenal are still keen on the Crystal Palace defender
Despite having Gabriel and William Saliba, Arsenal are still keen on the Crystal Palace defender
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But few men will look at a partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel and think they can break it up. So it leaves Guehi wondering whether a back three is on the cards. Could he be forced out wide, a bit like Ben White. Or does he think that, whilst Arsenal are on the up, how many minutes am I ultimately getting.
Overseas
If Guehi fancies a huge change of environment he only needs to look at Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham to see how Englishmen can thrive abroad. Both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are keen ahead of a transfer merry-go-round of centre-halves.
Dayot Upamecano in out of contract in Germany, as is Antonio Rudiger in Spain. Real have cooled their interest in Konate but are likely still eyeing some defensive cover. Bayern need the same. Both present similar prospects on the pitch: title chances, among the Champions League favourites and elite European environments.
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