Crystal Palace is facing a tough time this summer. The club’s chairman, Steve Parish, has made it clear that the future of their captain and England defender, Marc Guehi, hangs in the balance. With the transfer window closing soon, big decisions have to be made, and it all depends on the right price being offered.
Marc Guehi, just 25 years old, has been a key player for Palace. He helped lead the team to recent wins in the FA Cup and Community Shield. However, his contract is ending soon, and if Palace cannot reach an agreement, they risk losing him for free next year. This would be a huge loss for the club.
Last summer, Newcastle made a third bid of £70 million for Guehi, but Palace turned it down. Parish revealed that another offer came in January, but the club found it difficult to make a decision. Now, Liverpool, who won the Premier League and Carabao Cup, as well as Guehi’s former club Chelsea, are interested in signing him. Chelsea especially needs a defender after Levi Colwill suffered a serious injury.
Speaking after Palace’s penalty win over Liverpool at Wembley, Parish said plainly, “Yes, yes,” when asked if Guehi would be sold if the price is right. He explained, “For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it is a problem for a football club. There is no doubt about it unfortunately.”
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Palace also sold Joachim Anderson for £30 million last summer, which affected their finances. Parish admits that losing both Anderson and Guehi would be too much for the club. “We had another bid in January but that was a difficult decision as well. We will just have to see what happens. It needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”
The club still wants around £50 million for Guehi. At the same time, they are dealing with interest from Arsenal in another star player, Eberechi Eze, who helped Palace reach the FA Cup final.
Parish explained the tricky situation at Palace. “People trade players. That is what football clubs do. If you don’t care about tomorrow and put it all off, we are a fantastic team. If we had four more players, I don’t know what we could achieve. Unfortunately, it is not always as simple as that.”
One of the main reasons Palace is cautious is because of the large money they owe for previous signings. Parish described the transfer fees as “crazy” and “nuts.” The club’s spending is limited because they still pay fees for players they already have. This means that any new transfer must be smart and careful.
Manager Oliver Glasner is feeling the pressure. So far this summer, Palace has only made two signings, including a backup goalkeeper who joined on a free transfer. Glasner has voiced his frustration with the slow transfer activity, wanting more reinforcements to compete in four competitions this season.
Parish showed respect for Glasner’s ambition. “I admire Oliver so much. He just wants to win trophies. I don’t mind that he wants to do that and I think someone at the football club should do that. I have other things to worry about, and the Premier League is crazy, what people spend.”
Palace’s financial reality means they must recycle their squad carefully. Parish promised, “We will do everything we can in the next few weeks to give ourselves the best chance. It is a really tough one… But the money we have is not infinite.”
Adding to Palace’s challenges, UEFA recently demoted them from the Europa League to the Conference League for this season. The club has appealed this decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. The verdict is expected on Monday, and Parish hopes for a positive outcome.
“It will be good to put it behind us,” Parish said, “but I don’t want that to come across as fatalism. I am determined that we will get the right outcome. If we don’t, we will have to look at steps after that.”
He also expressed confusion about UEFA’s decision. “I do not understand how we cannot be in that competition. It is up to the judges to decide, we trust them. Let’s see.”
As the transfer window ticks down and Palace awaits the court’s decision, the future of Marc Guehi and the club’s spending plans remain uncertain. Fans will be watching closely to see if Palace can hold on to their captain or if they will need to rebuild in a “crazy” market full of financial challenges.
