Marc Guehi’s Deadline Day transfer to Liverpool is off after Crystal Palace failed to find a replacement for the centre-back.
The clubs had agreed a £35m deal for the Eagles captain following his player-of-the-match performance in the win at Aston Villa on Sunday and he was given permission to undergo a medical in London.
However, Palace’s deal to sign Brighton defender Igor Julio fell through. He is on his way to West Ham after deciding against a switch to south London. There are contrasting reports suggesting Palace opted not to complete the deal following Igor’s medical.
A deal sheet was then submitted to the Premier League to take the Guehi negotiations beyond Monday’s 7pm deadline – but Palace then ultimately decided not to sell.
Sky Sports News has been told that, following direct conversations with Guehi and head coach Oliver Glasner, Palace’s bosses decided they needed to cancel the deal and tell the player to return to south London.
The news will be welcomed by head coach Glasner, who had urged Palace not to sell one of his key players so late in the window. ”We have to [keep Guehi] if we want to play a successful season,” Glasner had told Sky Sports after the win at Villa Park. ”If we don’t have the right replacement, for me it’s clear to keep him.”
Sky Sports News understands Glasner’s insistence on not wanting to lose Guehi played a key role in the decision by Palace to pull the plug.
Guehi has just one year remaining on his Palace contract and the club do not want to lose him on a free transfer at the end of the season. That is an issue they will now need to address.
Palace did sign Jaydee Canvot, the 19-year-old centre-back from Toulouse on deadline day in a deal worth £20.8m. But Glasner made it clear he wanted a Premier League-ready replacement for Guehi.
Palace also have a long-term interest in AC Milan defender Strahinja Pavlovic and were actively exploring whether a deal could be done for him before the window closed.
The Italian club were seeking their own reinforcements at centre-back having held talks for Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez.
Palace were also considering a move for Chelsea’s Axel Disasi. The defender is a member of Chelsea’s ’bomb squad’ of players who are not part of Enzo Maresca’s first-team plans and are free to find another club. The Frenchman spent last season on loan at Aston Villa and had talks with West Ham.
What are Liverpool’s centre-back options now?
The development leaves Liverpool with three senior centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, as well as 18-year-old summer signing Giovanni Leoni.
Wataru Endo, Andy Robertson and Ryan Gravenberch have also played the position in the past.
What happens next for Guehi?
Palace miss out on the £35m fee they would have earned now for the sale of Guehi but they get to keep him for the time being.
He could be sold once the January transfer window opens but Palace can expect a much smaller fee for him at that stage. Guehi will be free in January to negotiate and potentially sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs abroad.
It is possible Guehi signs a new contract at Selhurst Park – but he has indicated to this point that he does not want to do that.
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