Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has confirmed the club is prepared to part ways with captain Marc Guehi this summer to prevent him leaving on a free transfer when his contract expires.
The Eagles turned down multiple bids from Newcastle in January, including one worth £65 million, in the hope the England international would commit to a new deal.
However, with only 12 months left on his current contract and no progress on an extension, Guehi’s future appears increasingly likely to lie elsewhere.
Although the defender is reportedly open to staying until 2026 before departing without a transfer fee, Parish made it clear the club would prefer to cash in now.
“We’d have to do that, of course,” said Parish.
“For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem for us unfortunately.
“Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham last summer] and we couldn’t afford to lose both.
“We then had another bid [for Guehi] in January but that was a different situation.
“We’ll just have to see what happens. But, you know, it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”
Liverpool remain interested in the centre-back, though it is unclear whether Arne Slot’s side will be willing to match Palace’s asking price of around £40 million, especially with the possibility of signing him for nothing in 2026.
The Reds have already spent close to £270 million this summer, offset by approximately £170 million in player sales.
Parish’s comments came after Palace’s Community Shield win over Liverpool on penalties – their second trophy under manager Oliver Glasner.
Glasner has also expressed frustration at the club’s limited recruitment during the current window, with only two senior arrivals: Argentina goalkeeper Walter Benitez from PSV Eindhoven and Croatia defender Borna Sosa from Ajax.
“It’s difficult. We have an outstanding 15 or 16 players, trying to get that level of quality in is hard. The prices – at the end of the day we’re Crystal Palace,” Parish said.
“The money at every football club is finite at some point. We will do what we can, try and help where we can. We all want to be better at football and we will try and do what we can.”
