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Former Manchester United forward Louis Saha has suggested that his old club could make a move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, following the collapse of his transfer to Liverpool.
Guehi was on the brink of becoming Liverpool's 11th summer signing until Palace halted the deal at the last minute. Saha is of the opinion that all predictions about Guehi's future are now up in the air and that the Red Devils could outmanoeuvre their bitter rivals by intercepting any forthcoming deal the England center-back has with Liverpool.
The ex-Fulham forward also believes Guehi would leap at the opportunity to join United. Guehi had already settled personal terms with Liverpool and undergone a medical as his transfer seemed almost certain.
However, it's believed that Palace manager Oliver Glasner threatened to resign if his captain departed, leaving Palace owner Steve Parish with no option but to veto the deal.
Guehi is in the final year of his contract with Palace, which means the club will need to sell him in January or risk losing him for nothing in the summer. It's reported that the player has no interest in renewing his contract.
In the meantime, United manager Ruben Amorim is committed to making his preferred 3-4-3 formation work at Old Trafford following a disappointing start to the new season. Saha believes Guehi, who has experience playing in a back three for Palace, could be a crucial addition for Amorim as he seeks to turn around United's flagging fortunes.
"Marc Guehi is very strong, very solid, very reliable, quick and a good leader. There is a lot of quality in that boy. I do think that he is the type of player who can really help Manchester United's season," the Frenchman said to Flashscore.
"It's definitely an opportunity to hijack this and stop Liverpool getting stronger. It would be a smart move. I don't think he would turn down United if the bid goes in correctly. There will be only six months left on this contract, there is definitely an opportunity there."
Guehi was understood to be frustrated that his switch to Liverpool failed to come to fruition.
There is now speculation that the Eagles will look to offload Guehi in January as they seek to generate funds for their star player after losing out on the £35 million ($47.5 million) Liverpool would have offered them.
Liverpool had been anticipated to lodge a fresh offer at the beginning of 2026, but it is now understood the Merseyside club will wait patiently as the Reds are convinced Guehi is committed to securing a transfer to Merseyside.
But Guehi is also eligible to enter discussions with foreign clubs from the beginning of next year regarding a pre-contract arrangement. Despite the surprise of his transfer falling through, Guehi appears to have swiftly moved past the disappointment and returned to England's starting XI as the Three Lions thrashed Serbia 5-0 on Tuesday.
He netted the fourth goal in Belgrade as Thomas Tuchel's team moved a step closer to qualifying for next summer's World Cup.
When asked by ITV about how the past eight days had unfolded since his move collapsed, Guehi seemed remarkably positive.
"It's been great," he said. "It's always easy coming here, such a good group of players, good group of staff. We are all working towards one goal."
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