Guehi chase: Liverpool, City, Real and more in the mix

Marc Guehi has suddenly become the name on everyone’s lips in England. The Crystal Palace skipper finds himself at the center of a transfer storm, with no fewer than five European giants circling. Liverpool came agonizingly close to landing him on deadline day, only for Palace chairman Steve Parish to slam the brakes at the final moment.

Guehi was left furious — a 40 million euros move to Anfield was already in the works. But Palace boss Oliver Glasner drew a line in the sand: unless a replacement arrived, Guehi would not be leaving. Faced with the ultimatum, Parish held on to his captain.

In a world of Isaks, be Marc Guehi

The situation is now even more intriguing. Guehi’s contract runs out in June, and renewal talks have gone nowhere. Come January, he’ll be free to negotiate with other clubs — a golden chance for Liverpool to grab him on a cut-price deal.

If they hesitate, Palace could lose him for nothing. And the Reds won’t be alone. The Daily Star reports that Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich are all in the race. City, who let Manuel Akanji join Inter just before the deadline and may yet move Nathan Ake, could use Guehi to reinforce their back line.

Whether Guehi can mentally reset after the collapsed Liverpool move is an open question. Some whispers even suggest he might step down as Palace captain.

England boss Thomas Tuchel, however, has shown full support: "We've had a conversation. He seems absolutely fine. Very impressive on the field. He's the main driver of Palace's success, captain and leader. He shows respect, grace, and a brilliant attitude in the camp."

Guehi started in the 2–0 World Cup qualifier against Andorra at Villa Park, determined to nail down his place in Tuchel’s squad ahead of next year’s tournament. Publicly, he has never demanded a transfer, but behind the scenes, joining Liverpool remains his dream. The Reds are still seen as the frontrunners for 2026.

At Anfield, coach Arne Slot continues to count on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, with Joe Gomez and new arrival Giovanni Leoni 30 million euros from Parma as backup. Guehi, though, could be the missing piece Liverpool are waiting for.