Marc Guehi could choose Real Madrid over Liverpool after deadline-day collapse

Marc Guehi is weighing a move to Real Madrid after the deadline-day collapse of his proposed transfer to Liverpool, according to The Mirror. The 25-year-old Crystal Palace captain had undergone a medical at Anfield after a £35 million fee was agreed for a five-year contract, and a deal sheet was filed with the Premier League in good time. Palace, however, blocked the sale at the 11th hour when they could not secure a suitable replacement defender in time.

Guehi remains a free agent this summer and is allowed to negotiate with foreign clubs as early as January with a view to moving there in the summer, or depart in January for a smaller fee. The Mirror report adds that Guehi has told his agent he would prefer a move to Real Madrid when he is eligible to depart Palace, with Madrid viewed as a potential destination that could appeal given Guehi’s interest in playing abroad. The link to Real Madrid comes as the defender is also said to be excited by the prospect of competing at a European heavyweight, potentially partnering current Reds defender Ibrahima Konaté, who is reportedly out of contract at the end of the season and yet to sign a new deal.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot expressed sympathy for Guehi after the transfer collapsed, telling Sky Sports that he could understand the player’s disappointment and emphasizing that football can be unpredictable at the closing stages of a window. Slot said the club would support Guehi in regrouping and focusing on his current responsibilities if a move did not materialize.

Guehi has 25 England caps and has been a fixture of Palace’s defense since joining from Chelsea in 2021. He contributed in Palace’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa earlier in the window, a form that underscored why Palace were reluctant to let him go without securing a viable replacement. Glasner stressed that the sale was conditioned on finding a suitable successor and reiterated that a lack of a replacement before the window's end left Palace unable to sanction the exit.

Oliver Glasner, Palace’s manager, explained in the final days of the window that the club could not agree to selling Guehi without a plan to replace him. He recalled a meeting in March in which Palace and Guehi’s representatives discussed the possibility of a sale if the right player could be brought in. He said the failure to secure that replacement by the start of pre-season, and with the transfer window closing on August 31, made the move untenable. The decision, he noted, was not a personal gesture but a necessary strategic choice for Palace’s campaign.

The closing days of the transfer window also featured Liverpool’s own high-profile business, including a British-record £125 million signing for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and the capture of Florian Wirtz for £116 million, underscoring the frenetic nature of deadline-day activity across the Premier League. Guehi’s situation added another layer to a window that saw several clubs balance ambition with the practicalities of squad planning.

As the summer slate closes, Guehi remains with Palace, with Real Madrid’s name continuing to surface in association with his future. Whether the 25-year-old defender ultimately moves to Spain or another European power, the narrative centers on a defender who impressed at Selhurst Park and now faces one of the sport’s perennial tests: choosing the right moment and the right club to maximize his development and the club’s competitive needs.