Reputable sources suggest Newcastle will resume their attempts to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi this coming winter, having had three bids rejected for the Euro 2024 standout before the season began – the last £65m including add-ons. They wanted £80-85m and that stance hasn’t changed, especially aware early pacesetters Liverpool may surface at the end of this campaign.
Newcastle back in for Guehi, who prefers Liverpool
NEWCASTLE have had a decent, if unspectacular start to the campaign across all competitions. Murmurs of discontent between Eddie Howe and sporting director Paul Mitchell continue to linger behind-the-scenes, though they’ve only lost once in nine games and will play Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea in the EFL Cup to finish an eventful October in the second of two matches against the Blues in the space of four days.
Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman (both knee) are out until early 2025, while the Fabian Schar-Dan Burn centre-back pairing hasn’t been flawless. Both are 32 and not getting any younger, summer signing Lloyd Kelly still settling in after five years at Bournemouth while Sweden international Emil Krafth is a useful back-up option they use sparingly. Guehi (24) fits the mould for precisely what they seek, but isn’t cheap.
In my original report from February, Palace were quoted as wanting £60m upfront for the 18-cap England international. Following a fantastic summer at the European Championships in Germany, unsurprisingly that price-tag has increased.
Quickly establishing himself as a mainstay at the heart of defence in south London, the centre-back learned plenty from 18 months on-loan with Swansea before opting against signing a new deal at Chelsea, bravely paying off in the years since.
A report from TEAMtalk revealed he’d prefer to join Liverpool rather than Newcastle – hardly an exclusive – but as The Athletic reported over the summer, he’d be open to moving to Tyneside in what many feel would be a lateral move.
Michael Olise departed for Bundesliga giants Bayern while Joachim Andersen returned to Fulham but Palace did well in retaining Eberechi Eze and Guehi, despite interest from many Premier League clubs and big-six release clause talk, like that seeing Dominic Solanke depart Bournemouth for Tottenham (£65m) early August.
Oliver Glasner spoke with assurity about the future of his captain, behaving professionally throughout and that resolve will be tested again into 2025 as the Chelsea academy graduate’s existing contract expires in the summer of 2026. Palace’s leverage in any prospective deal will fade if they don’t agree extension terms.
Newcastle’s club-record signing is Alexander Isak (£63m), another player whose long-term future is uncertain, though Arne Slot’s Liverpool are unwilling to spend the £80-85m Palace command mid-season where they’ll look to be challenging across all fronts again. The last time they did so, they spent £75m on Virgil van Dijk in 2018.
The Dutchman’s own future is unclear while a pair of talented left-footed talents – Sporting’s Goncalo Inacio and Piero Hincapie at Leverkusen – have been increasingly linked, both of whom would cost less and are younger than Guehi by comparison.
Picture source: Getty Images
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