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Marc Guehi has opened up on his failed transfer to Liverpool last month and revealed how he coped with the disappointment of missing out on a move to the Premier League champions.
The Reds agreed a £35miliion ($47M) fee with Crystal Palace to acquire the center-back on deadline day, only for the deal to be scuppered at the 11th hour. So close was the move that Guehi had even completed the first part of his medical and had agreed personal terms with the club.
He was left crestfallen when Palace pulled the plug at the 11th hour. Julio Igor had been lined up as Guehi’s replacement, but he opted to join West Ham United instead, meaning the Eagles had no time to recruit an alternative option.
But the England international has not let that frustration impact his commitment to Palace or performance levels. Guehi has played every minute of Palace’s season to date and put in an impressive display as the London club beat Liverpool last weekend in the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of Palace’s Europa Conference League encounter against Dynamo Kyiv, Guehi was asked about that failed transfer to Liverpool.
"The sun goes up, the sun goes down, life goes on," he responded.
"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."
Speaking to TNT Sports, Guehi also explained how he dealt with the blow.
"Having my family there the whole time, friends, people who have always been there for me, and then the football club.
"People that you come into work with every single day, staff, team-mates, [are] always there. So when they're joking and laughing and smiling, it just makes it easy to be honest. It's been really good in that sense."
Guehi has largely been shielded from the media glare in the weeks following the collapsed transfer, but, in addition to his TNT Sports interview, the 25-year-old also spoke in Wednesday’s pre-match conference.
"I don't have much to say, to be honest," he said on the near Liverpool move. "I'm focused on playing football and playing for this club. But to the fans [I want to say] thank you very much for your support. I definitely feel it.
"It's something I don't think of at all. My only focus is on the club; I'm not too worried about any personal accolades. As long as the team is where it needs to be, I'm happy."
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