Marc Guehi: ‘January Asking Price Set’ for Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City Target

The England international is due to become a free agent in the summer.

Crystal Palace could sell Marc Guéhi for the right price. / Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

Crystal Palace are prepared to demand as much as £40 million ($53.6 million) to sell centre back Marc Guéhi in the January transfer window, a report has claimed.

Europe’s elite have been circling Guéhi ever since last summer, when Liverpool saw a £35 million switch break down at the 11th hour. Now in the final six months of his contract, Guéhi is seen as a premium candidate to target on a free transfer at the end of the season.

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Liverpool remain interested, while Barcelona and Real Madrid are both admirers, and Arsenal are the latest side to join the race for his signature. It is Manchester City, however, who have reignited the transfer frenzy with a willingness to try and sign Guéhi immediately in response to a defensive injury crisis which has seen both Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol sidelined in recent weeks.

If Guéhi is to leave Palace this month, then The Guardian state it will take a fee of around £40 million to get a deal done.

Even though Guéhi’s contract is closer to expiring and clubs overseas are now permitted to speak with him about a free transfer, Palace appear to be prepared to raise their asking price, given the complication that comes with finding a replacement in a January window which is often thinner and more expensive.

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Man City’s Injury Crisis Sparks Early Interest

Guéhi will have plenty of options in the summer. / Sebastian Frej/Getty Images

Palace boss Oliver Glasner, who was firm in his insistance that Guéhi would not be sold during the summer, softened his stance earlier this week by admitting that the England international could leave for the right price in January.

It will now be up to City to decide whether to meet that asking price or risk missing out on Guéhi. Overseas admirers, also including Bayern Munich, can arrange a summer switch immediately and there was a sense earlier this season that Guéhi would rather see out the season with Palace before exploring his options, of which there will be many.

City brought 20-year-old Max Alleyne back from his loan with Watford in immediate response to Dias and Gvardiol’s injury blows, joining a defensive group which includes just Abdukodir Khusanov and an injury prone Nathan Aké. The trio all started Saturday’s FA Cup third-round meeting with League One’s Exeter City on Saturday, with 17-year-old Stephen Mfuni joining makeshift fullbacks Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes on the bench.

Working in City’s favour is the belief that none of Guéhi’s other suitors are expected to try and sign him immediately, although offers of a free transfer to mainland Europe in the summer could soon arrive.

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