Guehi Opens Up on Liverpool Near-Miss: "Medical Was Pretty Much Done" Before Palace Pulled Plug

Marc Guehi has lifted the lid on his near-miss at Anfield, confirming that Liverpool's summer pursuit of the defender came agonisingly close to completion before the wheels fell off at the eleventh hour.

The Manchester City recruit was one of the Premier League's hottest properties over the past year, with both Liverpool and Pep Guardiola's side circling for his signature. Come deadline day in the summer, the Reds thought they'd got their man—a deal worth approximately £35m was reportedly agreed. Cue the dramatic plot twist: Crystal Palace, fearing they wouldn't have time to source adequate cover, yanked the deal back from the brink.

It proved a frustrating turn of events for Liverpool, who have endured defensive frailties this season and were banking on bolstering their backline. The setback also meant they risked losing out entirely, with European clubs sniffing around as well.

Guehi instead ended up at the Etihad, where City ramped up their efforts after injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol left them short. He made an impressive debut for his new side, helping them to a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory over Wolves.

Speaking about how tantalisingly close the Liverpool move came, Guehi reflected: "Very close. The medical was pretty much done and then it got pulled at the last minute. So, quite close!"

He added that his approach was simply to dust himself down and move forward. "My mindset's always, 'Move on to the next one'. And also that what will be, will be. God's got a plan for me. Just move on to the next one and focus on what I could do for Palace."

Unlike some of his peers—notably Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa—who made headlines by forcing their way out this summer, Guehi maintained his composure and professionalism. He explained his reasoning with a touch of class, noting that Palace deserved his full commitment.

"It would be doing Palace a disservice if I was acting a certain way because that club has given me everything," he said. "So, the least I can do is show up to work every single day, shut my mouth and keep my head down. That's the most important thing. It is not me giving the football club everything—they have given me everything. They give me the opportunity to play and support us when things go well and things go bad."

Now settled at City, Guehi believes he's found the right environment to take the next step in his development. "It feels like it's been going on forever. But I'm just glad that I got this move over the line," he said. "I'm now really confident that this is the place for me to improve and to grow as a player. I felt from conversations—through talking with some players here—that this was the place for me to improve and just to help as much as possible."