Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner confirmed this season will be Marc Guehi’s last at Selhurst Park.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Glasner revealed Guehi – who is out of contract at the end of the campaign – wanted to try ‘something different.’
“I think Marc has already told us that he doesn’t [want to] sign a new contract, so he will leave next year,” 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.”
How close did Marc Guehi come to leaving in the summer?
With Guehi’s refusal to sign a new contract, it means a club will be able to snap him up for free next July.
Alternatively, the Palace skipper is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club once the January window opens.
Now that Glasner has confirmed Guehi’s intentions, it is sure to spark a transfer feeding frenzy as clubs queue up to prepare offers for the England international.
The 25-year-old came agonisingly close to a deadline day exit from Selhurst Park after Palace agreed a £35million deal with Liverpool for the centre-back.
So far down the line was the transfer, Guehi had filmed an exit video thanking the Palace fans for their support amid the expectation he was leaving.
Why was Marc Guehi’s move to Liverpool called off?
However, the plug was pulled on the deal with hours remaining on deadline day as Palace were unable to source a replacement in time.
Although he was understanding of Guehi’s devastation at not securing a dream move to Anfield, Palace co-owner and chairman Steve Parish explained exclusively on talkSPORT why he had to ultimately call off the transfer.
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“It’s a difficult decision,” Parish said.
“It’s as simple as that these things are never black and white.
“I decided in the end that, based on the advice that I got and with what I think, that we would have a better season if we kept Marc.
“We don’t guess about these things. If you look at it rationally, if you look at what is worth the place in the Premier League, the fact that we’re in the Conference League for the first time in our history, this is a fairly unusual set of circumstances in which to keep a player.
“If we were fighting between the difference of tenth and 14th, if that was going to be the difference between keeping Marc and letting Marc go, then probably we would have said right, ‘We should take the money.’”
Although Liverpool were evidently keen on Guehi in the summer, talkSPORT understands they have no plans at present to return with another bid in January.
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However, a season-ending ACL injury to summer signing Giovanni Leoni could prompt the Reds to make another play for Guehi in three months’ time.
Which other clubs might be interested in Marc Guehi?
Liverpool will have to be wary of other clubs who are no doubt interested in Guehi.
Tottenham made a £70m bid for Guehi in January, only for Palace to reject it.
Newcastle United also made a series of offers in the 2024 summer window which peaked at what would have been a then-club record fee of £65m.
However, Palace rebuffed the Magpies’ advances at every turn and held on to their star man for the 2024/25 campaign which culminated in a stunning FA Cup victory, the Eagles’ first major trophy in club history.
Guehi and Palace are back in action following the international break on Saturday at 3pm as they host fellow high-flyers Bournemouth.