Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner insists captain Marc Guehi must remain at Selhurst Park if the club is to enjoy a successful season.
The 25-year-old defender scored in Palace’s impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday, just days after helping the Eagles qualify for the Europa Conference League.
Guehi, who has one year left on his contract, has attracted heavy interest from Liverpool, who have lodged an improved £35m bid including a 10% sell-on clause. However, with the Premier League transfer window closing on Monday at 19:00 BST, Glasner says there is no prospect of letting his captain leave at this stage.
“We have no chance to find the right replacement in one day,” Glasner explained. “The agreement has always been clear: we only sell Marc if we already have the right replacement in the building. We wanted that by July 1. Today is August 31 and we have no replacement. Marc is a crucial player, one of our leaders—he is our captain.”
Although Guehi has made it clear he will not sign a new contract, Palace are reluctant to risk losing him on a free transfer next summer. The London side previously rejected a £65m offer from Newcastle for the defender last year.
The uncertainty comes after Palace already lost one of their stars this summer, with Eberechi Eze joining Arsenal for £60m following his role in the club’s FA Cup triumph.
Speaking after the win at Villa Park, Guehi avoided questions about his future, instead choosing to highlight the team effort.
“All I know is when you score goals like that it’s always down to team performance,” he said. “People might pick out my goal, but this was a clear team effort tonight.”
Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, praised Guehi’s professionalism.
“He has everything you want from a modern centre-back. He’s shown real professionalism by going out and giving his all for the team despite the speculation. Some players refuse to play in situations like this, but he deserves credit for doing the right thing.”
