3 days ago
6
Marc Guehi cast further doubt on his rumored switch to Liverpool after the Crystal Palace center-back refused to receive proper sendoff from Eagles supporters.
On Sunday, Guehi played the entirety of Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa — during which he curled a masterful shot past the outstretched arms of Marco Bizot for the second goal of the match. One day later, Liverpool and Crystal Palace reached an agreement on a £35 million ($47M) deal that would bring Guehi to Anfield. He was subsequently given permission to complete his medical in London before putting pen to paper on his longterm contract.
However, the move was soon thrown into doubt, although Liverpool has submitted a deal sheet in the hopes of getting a deal done. And the deadline day confusion simply carries over what has been a confusing saga from start to finish in a case of will he or won't he.
Moments after the final whistle sounded in Sunday’s contest, Guehi stopped short of saying goodbye to the Crystal Palace faithful gathered in Villa Park. Despite Dean Henderson’s multiple attempts to push him to the front of the pack, the 25-year-old refrained from taking center stage to thank the fans.
Speaking to reporters during a post-match press conference, Guehi conceded that he doesn’t enjoy being in the limelight. "I'm okay. I guess so,” he said when asked about his current mindset.
“I don't like the limelight. I'm glad I have a good club and good teammates around me. When you focus on what is important, the football, it makes it a bit easier."
Though Guehi appeared to already have one foot out the door at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace are actively refusing to sanction his transfer to Liverpool while scrambling to find his replacement.
Igor Julio appeared to be a viable candidate to fill his shoes, but the Brazilian has since turned his attention towards joining West Ham on a season-long loan.
Addressing the speculation surrounding Guehi’s potential exit, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner explained: “He’s so professional and it was clear he would play today. I can say it with clarity, and I said it to the chairman that it’s nothing to do with Oliver Glasner but we need to keep Marc to play a successful season.
“We had a meeting in March where we talked about the situation so again we know how the situation is and we have an agreement that we could sell Marc if we have the right replacement in. We wanted to have this replacement at the beginning of the pre-season to be independent from this situation.
“That was on July 9 (the season started), it’s August 31 and there is no replacement in the building so it’s clear one part of the agreement is not fulfilled that means we can’t sell Marc.
“It’s not a wish or gift for Oliver Glasner, it’s necessary for playing a successful season. We had a great start and I think our fans deserve to have the best players available.
"I know if we don’t sell Marc, he will accept it. He loves the club and team, he feels the appreciation and we feel the same from his side. That’s why I have to say we need to keep him.”
English (US) ·