Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace captain, recently opened up about his failed £35 million transfer to Liverpool. Despite the disappointment and frustration that came with the late collapse of his move, Guehi has chosen to adopt a philosophical approach towards this setback.
Guehi was all set to become Liverpool’s final signing of the summer after a deal worth £35 million plus a 10 percent sell-on clause was agreed upon. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Crystal Palace pulled out at the last minute. This left both parties in an awkward position - Liverpool without one of their key targets and Guehi having already undergone medical checks for his new club.
In an interview with TNT Sports ahead of Palace’s UEFA Conference League opener against Dynamo Kyiv, Guehi insisted that he had moved past this incident.
Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace captain, said:
“The sun goes up, the sun goes down, life goes on. That’s my mindset, and if you adopt that mindset in most things, you just get on with life and move on.
“Fortunately for me, I’m at a football club that has helped me and given me so much, so it does make it that much easier.”
Revival Of Interest?
Despite this setback, it is expected that Liverpool will revive their interest in acquiring Guehi as early as January. Sky Sports reports suggest there is acceptance within Crystal Palace that they may lose their captain by 2026. Other potential suitors include football giants such as Man City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona who are also reportedly interested in signing him once his contract expires next summer.
Liverpool hopes that their persistent efforts throughout the summer – having almost signed him – will secure his future commitment to them.
Blame game
There has been speculation around whether it was Liverpool's timing or Palace chairman Steve Parish's alleged inactivity which led to the failure of this deal. According to reports, Parish approached Richard Hughes over a deal during Community Shield but went quiet for weeks following initial talks and ignored further advances from Liverpool.
However, Guehi seems unfazed by these developments. His calmness is likely due to the knowledge that he will be in a stronger position over his future if he allows his contract to run down. This could mean leaving for a lower fee in January or potentially profiting from a significant signing-on fee if he departs as a free agent.
While the failed transfer was undoubtedly disappointing for both Guehi and Liverpool, it seems that all parties have moved on and are looking towards future opportunities. Only time will tell where Guehi's career path leads him next.
