Marc Guehi is open to an enquiry from Arsenal after the Gunners rivalled Liverpool and Manchester City in the race to sign the Crystal Palace captain.
England defender Guehi is set to leave Selhurst Park, but it is still unclear if that will happen before the January transfer window closes or in the summer.
Read: Jürgen Klopp asked if he has received a phone call after Real Madrid sacked Xabi Alonso
Guehi’s contract expires at the end of the season, so Palace could be tempted to sell their influential centre-back this month to avoid losing him on a free transfer in a few months’ time. – They have tried to get an extension, but they now seem to be aware that he is “lost”
The 25-year-old was on the verge of a move to Liverpool last summer, but Crystal Palace blocked the deal at the last minute.
The unconvincing Premier League champions are still eager to bring Guehi to Anfield, but now face huge competition in the transfer battle from Manchester City.
Manchester City have jumped to the front of the queue for Guehi, who captained Palace to an FA Cup triumph last season, and are believed to be considering a January purchase following an injury crisis at the Etihad Stadium.
Crystal Palace would want around £40 million to part ways with Guehi this month, but the player could benefit from delaying his departure, as he would receive a signing bonus if he moved as a free player.
It was reported last week that Arsenal had entered the race to sign Guehi, although a possible bid from the Premier League leaders is likely to come in the summer, if at all.
A bid from Arsenal would seem somewhat surprising given the fantastic centre-back partnership between Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, but the north London side may see it as too good an opportunity to refuse.
Read: Wow! Believes Premier League club in crisis is already talking to Ruben Amorim
According to The Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee, Guehi prefers to join Liverpool rather than Manchester City, although he also “likes” the idea of going to Arsenal.
Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol follows up and said he had a “strange feeling” that Guehi would end up at Arsenal.
“I imagine Arsenal would tick a lot of boxes,” he added. “It’s just a feeling.”
As well as having developed into arguably Crystal Palace’s most important player, Guehi has also become a central figure for England.
Guehi was England’s starting centre-back throughout Euro 2024 and is expected to start under Thomas Tuchel in next summer’s World Cup.
Palace signed Guehi from Chelsea in 2021, and the Blues have previously shown interest in bringing back their academy graduate.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner opened the door to a January transfer for Guehi earlier this week, telling reporters, “I’m not naïve. If a massive offer comes from City and Marc wants to do it, it will happen.
“If you only consider sportingly, everyone at the club will say Marc has to stay. The board will tell you the same. But it is not one-dimensional. If you look at the financial situation, it’s very important.
“If someone comes, there will come a moment where the club says ‘now the financial matter is more important than the sporting matter’.
“There will be a threshold where the club has to say it will happen – as long as Marc says ‘I want to leave’, because the final decision always lies with the player.
“The board turned down many offers this summer because we want to play a successful season and wanted to win the Community Shield. That’s why Marc is important, and then he turned down the offer.
“The threshold at the time, the money we were offered, was not above it. Maybe it was close, but it wasn’t over.”
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have all shown interest in beating Guehi’s Premier League clubs.
“From Marc Guehi’s point of view, why would he go to Arsenal?” said Sherwood on Sky Sports. “He’s not going to play if Saliba and Gabriel are healthy, he would never come into the team.
“I think he’s a good player, but I don’t think he’s on the same level as the two centre-backs. I think it’s more of a way into the first team of Manchester City, and certainly Liverpool, which is the obvious choice.
“So, it makes no sense on the part of Arsenal Football Club, and especially from Marc Guehi’s point of view, it makes no sense at all.”
