Barcelona Halts Guéhi Negotiations, Targets Alternatives

Spanish club Barcelona has reduced its interest in signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi, who was considered their primary defensive target. This decision comes due to Guéhi's high financial demands, which led to a halt in negotiations after the Catalan club deemed the financial gap too significant. Barcelona is prioritizing the signing of an experienced left-footed central defender by 2026. In this regard, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick stated that the club would sign a center-back. It is worth noting that Real Madrid had previously withdrawn their interest in Guéhi for similar reasons, not considering him a serious target.

Guéhi, for his part, will become a free agent next summer when his contract with Crystal Palace expires. Both Liverpool and Bayern Munich have reportedly made significant offers for the player. In this context, Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol (via CaughtOffside) stated that Guéhi "may have a verbal agreement with Liverpool to sign for them," adding that he "almost signed for them if the deal hadn't collapsed on the last day of the summer transfer window."

Solhekol also indicated that in January, "Guéhi will be free to negotiate with foreign clubs, and both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are keen to sign him." Barcelona had previously removed Gonçalo Inácio from their shortlist after he renewed his contract with Sporting Lisbon and is now considering alternatives such as Alessandro Bastoni from Inter Milan, Joško Gvardiol from Manchester City, Nico Schlotterbeck from Borussia Dortmund, and Pau Torres from Aston Villa.