Guehi's Summer Dream: Why City's January Push Faces Rejection Risk

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has his heart set on one particular outcome in the ongoing transfer saga surrounding his future, with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal all circling the defender.

The centre-back is poised to leave Selhurst Park either this month or in the summer, with his contract running down and elite clubs queuing for his signature. Liverpool came agonisingly close to landing him last summer when a £35m deal collapsed on deadline day—Palace simply lacked the time to secure a replacement.

That unfinished business means the Reds remain keen, particularly given their defensive needs this season. However, they would ideally snap him up for nothing rather than pay a fee, and that could prove problematic given the competition.

Manchester City are actively exploring a winter move as injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol have left Pep Guardiola short of options at the back. Bayern Munich have also registered their interest, while German journalist Florian Plettenberg revealed that Palace are demanding between £35m and £40m for a January departure.

According to Plettenberg's reporting, Guehi is actively favouring a free transfer when summer arrives, with Bayern, Liverpool, and Arsenal all lined up as potential summer suitors.

The snag for City? They're apparently yet to receive any green light from Guehi's camp suggesting he'd entertain a move to the Etihad. Sources close to the player remain doubtful he'll budge mid-season, and there's genuine concern at City that they could face rejection.

City are prepared to table an offer around £25m and are even exploring creative deal structures to bridge the gap between their valuation and Palace's asking price. A swap arrangement has been mooted as a possibility.

However, insiders are sceptical about Guehi agreeing to any mid-season switch. Should he move now, he'd command wages in the region of £250,000 per week—enough to rank him among City's top earners. The prospect of securing free-agent status next summer, though, remains his preferred path.