Newcastle United have an opportunity to make up for their 2024 mistake and sign Marc Guehi.
While all the talk is about strikers and Benjamin Sesko possibly joining to replace Alexander Isak, the Magpies also need a centre-back.
Newcastle could target Marc Guehi again, having failed to sign him from Crystal Palace 12 months ago. Paul Mitchell chased the defender all summer, but could not get a deal done.
Mitchell is no longer Newcastle United’s sporting director, while Guehi is still a Crystal Palace player. For how much longer remains to be seen, with the defender in the final 12 months of his contract at Selhurst Park.
Marc Guehi warms up ahead of Ipswich Town vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Marc Guehi’s asking price is slashed after Newcastle United’s £70m offer in 2024
The Eagles want to sell Guehi this summer to avoid losing him on a free in 2026, and have drastically slashed his asking price.
That is according to the Guardian’s Ed Aarons on X, who has stated that Crystal Palace want a fee of £40million for Guehi.
That represents quite the discount for Newcastle United, who offered a deal worth £70million in total last summer. However, that fee was not enough for Palace, who wanted £75million.
Now the Magpies could land him for just £40million, but that does not tell the whole story.
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Aarons adds that Guehi is willing to run down his contract and become a free agent next summer, while his preference is to join Liverpool if he is to change clubs this summer.
Centre-back is not Newcastle United’s top priority
A £40million deal for Guehi would represent excellent business for Newcastle United. He is an England international who can play as a right or left-sided centre-back, while he is also a leader and strong on the ball.
However, going back in for Guehi simply is not Newcastle United’s top priority right now. All their energy needs to go towards the incredibly complicated striker situation that is making an infuriating transfer window all the more painful.
Alexander Isak wants to leave Newcastle, but will not be allowed to unless a replacement arrives. Newcastle want Sesko to replace him, and have submitted a club record bid. However, Sesko prefers Manchester United over Newcastle.
That leaves the Magpies without a clear Isak alternative. That means he will not be allowed to leave, which potentially means forcing an unhappy player to remain at St James’ Park.
All of this is happening at a time when Eddie Howe’s centre-back options also need freshening up. That was even the case last summer, and it would be a drastic turn of events if another transfer window passed by without one arriving.