Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has admitted that the club will probably be forced to sell captain Marc Guehi this month, with champions Liverpool circling.
Guehi lifted silverware at Wembley for the second time this year on Sunday after his Palace side toppled Arne Slot’s men in the Community Shield.
But he faces an uncertain future with his contract set to expire at the end of this season – and co-owner Parish reckons it could be the right time to sell him if Liverpool, or another club, cough up a decent fee.
Asked if he would sell Guehi if the price is right, Parish said: ‘Yes. Of course, for players of that calibre to leave on a free, it is a problem for a football club. There is no doubt about it unfortunately.
‘Joachim (Andersen) went and we couldn’t afford to lose both of them. We then had another bid in January but that was a difficult situation as well. We will just have to see what happens. It needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.
‘In the end, people trade players, That is what football clubs do. Of course, if you don’t care about tomorrow ever and put it all off, then we are a fantastic team. If we had four more players, I don’t know what we could achieve. Unfortunately it is not always as simple as that.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish revealed the club may be forced to allow Marc Guehi to leave this summer
The Eagles captain has just 11 months remaining on his current deal at Selhurst Park
‘We will have to see. We will do whatever we can. We won’t stop working. But as far as people being here or not being here, it depends.
‘If it is the right decision for the football club and for them, there will be changes. But we have got to make smart ones.’
Liverpool are likely to step up their pursuit of Guehi in the coming weeks and will hold further talks in the next days. Palace want about £45million, which the Reds see as too high for a player out of contract in 11 months. There is a hope a middle ground can be found.
As Daily Mail Sport reported a fortnight ago, they also retain an interest in Parma’s 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni. There is a desire to sign a young defender to eventually step into Virgil van Dijk’s shoes.
Monday marks D-Day for Palace as they discover the decision of their appeal over demotion from the Europa League, which fans protested with a ‘UEFA Mafia’ banner, plus chants about the governing body and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Parish did not talk much on the appeal, perhaps not wanting to jinx the outcome, but said: ‘It’ll be good to put us behind us. I am determined to get the right outcome. If we don’t, we will have to look at the steps afterwards. It is up to the judges, we trust them.’
The chairman added on Palace’s win at Wembley: ‘I thought we played better than in the FA Cup final. This group has got such determination and belief to come back from a goal down and dominate the game.
‘In all the time I have been at the club, we have had some really good lads and some special teams but these ones really are something else.
Liverpool have long been admirers of the England defender and are ready to hold talks over a move
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‘Oliver (Glasner) is the conductor of the orchestra and he does such an amazing job. He is so positive. He said to me before: I have watched them again and we will score two goals. I don’t know if we can keep them out because they are world class but we will score two goals.
‘I admire Oliver so much. He just wants to win trophies.
‘Don’t think for a minute I want to do anything other than support them (financially) and do everything I can. At some points you have to recycle your squad. We will do everything we can in the next few weeks to give us the best chance we can.
‘It is a really tough one. We will do everything we can in the next few weeks to give ourselves the best chance. I am aware we are in four competitions. But at the end of the day, the money we have is not infinite.’
