Marc Guehi will have to wait until the summer if the Crystal Palace centre-back wants to complete a move to Liverpool, according to reports.
Guehi looked all set for a move to Anfield on transfer deadline day after Liverpool agreed a £35million deal with Palace.
The England international had even undergone his medical ahead of the move, but saw the deal collapse at the 11th hour after Palace failed to sign a necessary replacement.
Palace had been hopeful of signing Brighton defender Igor, but he instead opted for a switch to West Ham, which, in turn, forced Steve Parish to pull the plug on Guehi’s exit from the club.
Prior to the summer window, Guehi made it clear that he had no intention of signing an extension on his current deal, which is set to expire at the end of the season.
Your ultimate guide to the football season
Metro’s football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it’s an open goal.
And having not cashed in on the 25-year-old in the summer, Palace now face the prospect of losing their club captain for free next summer.
The south London club may have held out hope that Liverpool would return to the negotiating table in January to try and get a deal for Guehi over the line.
But The Times report that the Reds will not revisit a deal for the centre-back in January and will only sign Guehi on a free transfer next summer.
A move to Liverpool is still likely to interest Guehi, who was left angry by the late developments which saw his move scuppered this summer.
However, Palace may seek to entertain offers from other parties in January to ensure they recoup some money for their club captain.
Reports earlier in the week linked Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid with a move for Guehi, while Manchester City have also been credited with interest.
All four clubs could seek to hijack Liverpool’s plans and sign Guehi in January for a cut-price fee, which would surely be below the £35m that Liverpool had agreed with Palace.
The three continental giants could also look to strike a pre-contract agreement with Guehi, which would see him join a free when his contract expires in the summer.
Guehi will be free to speak to European clubs about a pre-contract agreement when he enters the last six months of his deal, but can’t enter such talks with a domestic club until the final month of his deal.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
