Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has admitted the club would be prepared to sell captain Marc Guehi in the January transfer window if their valuation is met, acknowledging the growing financial and sporting pressures surrounding the England defender’s future.
Guehi, 25, is out of contract in the summer and has yet to agree an extension at Selhurst Park. With Manchester City now emerging as serious contenders for his signature, Palace face a familiar dilemma: cash in now or risk losing one of their most valuable assets for nothing at the end of the season.
City’s interest has accelerated following defensive injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias during Sunday’s Premier League draw with Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s side are short at the back and see Guehi as an ideal fit — Premier League proven, comfortable on the ball and entering his prime years.
Palace blocked a proposed £35m move to Liverpool last summer, believing Guehi’s leadership and quality were central to their ambitions. That decision was vindicated on the pitch. Under Glasner, the Eagles finished 12th last season, lifted the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history and qualified for Europe. They followed that landmark achievement by winning the Community Shield in August, beating champions Liverpool on penalties.
However, the balance has shifted. With Guehi now free to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs from this month, Palace’s leverage is diminishing. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are all reportedly monitoring his situation, ready to offer him a lucrative free transfer in the summer.
Speaking candidly, Glasner conceded that emotion cannot override economics indefinitely. “I’m not naive,” he said. “If a massive offer comes from City and Marc wants to do it, it will happen.”
The Palace manager stressed that from a purely sporting perspective, everyone at the club wants Guehi to stay. “If you’re just valuing sports, everyone in the club will say Marc has to stay,” Glasner explained. “The chairman will tell you the same.”
But football decisions, he admitted, are rarely one-dimensional. “If you see the financial situation, it’s very important,” he said. “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 is always with the player.”
That threshold was not reached last summer, despite interest from Liverpool. Glasner revealed the offers came close but ultimately fell short of Palace’s valuation. “The chairman rejected many offers in the summer because we wanted to play a successful season and wanted to win the Community Shield,” he said. “The money offered was not above the threshold.”
Now, with Palace sitting 14th in the Premier League and juggling domestic and European commitments — including progression to the Conference League knockout play-offs — the financial calculus is sharper. A substantial January fee could help strengthen the squad and reduce the risk of losing Guehi for nothing.
For the player himself, the decision is finely balanced. Guehi has been a transformative figure since arriving from Chelsea, growing into a leader and a regular England international. A move to Manchester City would offer the chance to compete for major honours, while interest from Europe’s elite suggests his reputation continues to rise.
As the transfer window unfolds, Palace’s stance is clear: they will not force their captain out, but nor will they ignore reality. If the right offer arrives and Guehi signals his desire to move on, one of the most significant transfers of the January window could yet materialise.
