Palace willing to sell Marc Guehi

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Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has admitted the club may have to sell Marc Guéhi this summer rather than risk losing him for free next year.

The 25-year-old centre back, a target for Liverpool, is out of contract at the end of the season and has shown no sign of extending his deal. Parish confirmed Palace would consider a sale before the transfer window closes on September 1 if the right offer comes in.

Palace have previously turned down significant bids for Guéhi, including £70 million from Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year and up to £65 million from Newcastle United last summer. Liverpool are understood to value him closer to £30 million due to his contract situation.

“There is no doubt about it, unfortunately,” Parish said. “For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it is a problem for a football club. It needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”

Newcastle’s interest last year came after Palace sold Guéhi’s centre-back partner Joachim Andersen to Fulham for around £30 million. Parish suggested the club could not afford to lose both defenders at the time, but the situation may now be different.

Liverpool are also monitoring Parma’s 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni as a potential long-term option, though they face competition from Inter Milan.

Parish acknowledged that selling key players is part of the club’s model. “In the end, people trade players,” he said. “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.”

Forward Eberechi Eze has also been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park, as Palace look to balance squad needs with the financial realities of the transfer market.

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Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images

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Dylan Johnson