Barcelona could reportedly make a move for Marc Guehi as the Spanish champions are set to rival Liverpool for the Crystal Palace captain. The Catalans, fresh off losing Inigo Martinez this summer, are now circling around Guehi with SPORT claiming that director of football, Deco, has added the 25-year-old to his January hit list.
Barcelona join race for Palace captainLiverpool face heavyweight competition for GuehiDefender poised for free transfer exitFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
With Guehi eligible to strike a pre-contract agreement in the New Year, the Catalan giants see a golden opportunity to lure one of the Premier League’s standout defenders without paying a transfer fee. Barcelona’s interest instantly throws a spanner in Liverpool’s carefully laid plans, after the Reds had agreed personal terms with Guehi in the summer before their move fell apart at the eleventh hour.
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The Merseysiders were left floored when Palace chairman Steve Parish pulled the plug on Guehi’s £35 million move late in the window, citing the lack of a replacement. Guehi, for his part, made it clear he was ready to join Anfield immediately, but once denied, his stance hardened: he will now run down his deal and leave on a free. That revelation has sparked a feeding frenzy across Europe. What looked like Liverpool’s second chance at a straight run on their man has now descended into a brutal multi-club tug-of-war, with Palace set to watch their most valuable asset walk out for nothing.
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Hansi Flick’s Barcelona are hardly short of centre-back options, but stability at the back has been an elusive dream. Andreas Christensen’s contract expires next summer, while Jules Kounde has been forced into right-back duty more often than he’d like. Ronald Araujo, once viewed as the cornerstone of the back line, has struggled to maintain form and fitness for nearly two seasons. That leaves teenage prodigy Pau Cubarsi as the only guaranteed long-term solution. Guehi, with his maturity, leadership and proven Premier League pedigree, would offer Barcelona both reliability and experience as they try to rebuild a title-winning defence.
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The plot thickens further with reports that Real Madrid are also tracking Guehi. As if a Clasico tug-of-war wasn’t dramatic enough, Europe’s other heavyweights are muscling in. Bayern Munich have identified Guehi as a solution to their shaky back line. Meanwhile, Inter Milan and Juventus are both ready to pitch the glamour of Serie A and the lure of being a marquee foreign signing.