3 weeks ago
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Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has said there is “no deal” in place for Marc Guehi to join Liverpool and claimed the London club cannot afford to sell its captain.
Liverpool lodged a £35 million ($47M) bid for Guehi on Saturday and it’s understood that further talks are set to take place on deadline day. But Glasner was adamant after Palace’s 3-0 over Aston Villa that the Eagles are not in a position to lose their star man given the lack of time available to bring in a replacement.
"There is no deal," the Austrian explained during Sunday’s post-match press conference. "We can decide, he is our player and under contract. We can decide. It is up to us.
"Our fans deserve to have the best players available. If we don't sell Marc, he will accept it. He loves Crystal Palace and the team.
“We have to [keep Guehi] if we want to play a successful season.
"We had a fantastic start, unbeaten in these six games, winning the Community Shield. Goal number two was qualifying for the group stage of the Conference League and we did it.
“I told the players it was a good start, for a great start we need to win here and this is what the players did.
"But it's just a start. The first step is made. And for playing a successful season we need Marc.
"It's not possible within one day to find the replacement who can play immediately in the Premier League.
“When you see our defensive set-up, this is our foundation, everybody knows exactly what he has to do, everybody can rely on each other. Marc isn't a small part in this, he's our captain.
“We have to keep him. I told this to the chairman. It's not for me.
"I like Marc, he's such a professional player, and is such a nice guy but it's for the future of Crystal Palace, it's for playing a successful season. We have to keep him.
"We have no chance to find the right replacement in one day. We all agreed that we just sell Marc if we have the right replacement in the building."
Chairman Steve Parish had claimed earlier this summer that Palace would not be in a position to lose Guehi for free next year when his contract expires. It’s understood the defender has no plans to sign an extension on his current terms, which expire in June.
But the 25-year-old isn’t agitating for a move and has played every minute of Palace’s season so far.
“Let’s see what the future holds,” he told Sky Sports at Villa Park on Sunday. “They [the Palace fans] have been fantastic for me and my family, so it’s a pleasure to be playing for this football club.”
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