Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi had his representatives meet with Bayern Munich this week over a potential move this summer despite strong interest from Liverpool, a report has claimed.
The Premier League champions were merely minutes away from securing the 25-year-old’s signature in the summer, with Guehi even completing a medical in London ahead of a proposed move to Anfield before Palace pulled the plug.
Brighton defender Igor Julio was on his way to Selhurst Park to replace the departing defender, but the Brazilian changed his mind en route and decided on a move to West Ham instead.
Subsequently, Palace were forced to cancel Guehi’s move to Anfield at the eleventh hour, leaving the English international devastated that a move did not materialise.
With the defender’s contract up in the summer, Guehi will leave the Eagles on a free transfer. Just weeks ago, he seemed destined for a move to Arne Slot’s side - whether that be immediately or in 12 months.
However, it now appears that the former Chelsea star could be set to join England team-mate Harry Kane in Bavaria.
Vincent Kompany’s side have enjoyed a flying start to the campaign by winning all 12 competitive games so far and are looking to strengthen their squad with the addition of the England star.
Bayern look set to offload either Dayot Upamecano or Kim Min-Jae this summer, and intend on replacing them with Guehi. Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck is another option for the German giants.
Last week, Palace boss Oliver Glasner revealed that Guehi had rejected a contract proposal from the Eagles and will leave the club in the summer.
“I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year," Glasner revealed.
“The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, 'No, I want to make something different'. And that's normal.
“And for us, it's how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together."
While it seemed inevitable that Guehi would join Liverpool, whether it be this summer or next, the latest revelation shows the Reds will face fierce competition for his signature.
Slot’s side are said to be considering a move for Bayern’s French defender Upamecano as an alternative to Guehi, should a move collapse.
The news comes as another major blow for Slot, who has endured a torrid few weeks at Anfield.
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The Reds ended a streak of four consecutive defeats earlier this week - the first time since Brendan Rodgers’ reign - including a brutal 2-1 home defeat against bitter rivals Manchester United last weekend. They already find themselves four points behind table-toppers Arsenal.
New big-money signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are yet to find their groove, while Virgil van Dijk’s defence looks as shaky as ever - a ship they hoped would be steadied by the arrival of Guehi.
As for Palace, after an unbeaten start to the season, which began with a Community Shield triumph over Liverpool, they have now failed to win three games in a row.
On Thursday, they lost their second game of the Conference League season, a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Selhurst Park against Cypriot AEK Larnaca.
But, despite a summer of chaos that saw the Eagles demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League due to Uefa’s multi-club ownership rules and talisman Eberechi Eze depart for Arsenal, the club finds themselves eighth in the league in a positive opening to the season.
Although Guehi’s contract is not the only one expiring this summer; boss Glasner is also considering his options with his current deal up in just a matter of months.
The Austrian will have plenty of suitors vying for his signature after a fantastic spell at Selhurst Park, including overseeing a club-record 19-match unbeaten run, ended by Everton earlier in the month.
“It's all about being successful and I want to be as successful as possible with my team for Crystal Palace,” Glasner said. “This is what I will give every day.
“It's not about Oliver Glasner's thoughts, it's also the chairman, all the employees, the owners. It's extending the stadium capacity. Building a new stand has been a project for years, and it's what the club wants.
“It's important to get more revenue. The PSR rules are becoming stricter.
“It started with building the academy and attracting other players to Crystal Palace. It's not just one thing that we need to do to make the next step. If we want to make sustainable improvement as a club, we need to take the right steps in every department.”
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