Mark Guech reportedly plans to leave Crystal Palace on a free transfer next summer after the collapse of the deadline to Liverpool. The centre-back had expected to join Liverpool on Monday after Palace Chairman Steve Parish accepted a £35 million bid. However, despite being medically available in London and ready to fly a private jet to Merseyside, the deal collapsed.
Parrish made a last minute U-turn after Palace Manager Oliver Glasner threatened to quit. For weeks, Glasner was unable to sell without replacing Guehi, and was stubborn for weeks, saying that he was not prepared to resign as a rule. In the end, the palace boss won the battle, but he now has Guehi, very unhappy in his hands. Despite the confusion, the 25-year-old defender has been praised for his professionalism throughout his ordeal and focuses on football.
He played in a 3-0 victory against Aston Villa on Sunday and scored. However, according to The Times, he joined England for an international break at St. George’s Park, and he decided his future.
Guehi has decided to reject any proposals to renew his contract with the Palace, which he has been playing since July 2021. He plans to leave it empty-handed by leaving as a free agent when his contract ends on July 1, 2026, rather than departing for the January transfer period.
That’s exactly the scenario the parish was desperate to prevent it from the start. The co-owner and chairman were openly about the need for the palace to face financial constraints and approved the £67.5 million relocation of Ebebeki Eze to Arsenal.
He also knew Monday was the final opportunity for the club to secure a significant fee for Guehi.
“If Mark wants to sign a new contract, he can stay!” Parrish declared following a 1-0 victory over Fredrikstad in the conference league playoffs.
“It’s a difficult situation. Everyone has to sell players to follow the rules. That’s a situation that we’ll have to watch over the next 11 days.”
Nevertheless, the palace was unable to land a replacement for Gehi, which infuriated Glasner. The club believed they secured a loan agreement with Igor Giulio with Brighton, but the Brazilian chose West Ham instead.
They also expressed interest in Manuel Akanji of Manchester City, Mohamed Salis of Monaco, Jeremy Jacket of Rennes and Jady Cambot of Toulouse without achieving a breakthrough.
The Palace returns to his actions with Sunderland at Selhurst Park on September 13th, promises to be Guech’s emotionally recharged encounter.
The defender is currently on international duties with the UK, with England facing Andorra and Serbia in World Cup qualifying in the coming days, but will soon have to return to the palace.
