Barcelona Eyeing Crystal Palace's Marc Guéhi as Key Defensive Target

September 6th - According to the latest report from Spanish media Sport, La Liga giants Barcelona are closely monitoring the situation of Crystal Palace's English center-back Marc Guéhi and have shown clear interest in signing him.
Although the summer transfer window officially closed this Monday, Barcelona's sporting management has not paused its work. The club continues to scout potential reinforcement targets across multiple positions, preparing for medium to long-term squad building. Among these, the center-back position is seen as one of the key areas to strengthen next season.

This summer, Spanish center-back Iñigo Martínez has already left the club as a free agent, while another center-back, Andreas Christensen, also faces the possibility of departure—his contract expires on June 30, 2025, and so far, the club has not initiated renewal talks with him.

It is against this backdrop that Barcelona has turned its attention to the 25-year-old English international Guéhi, who currently plays for Crystal Palace. He is a key part of both Crystal Palace and the English national team's defensive setup under manager Thomas Tuchel, with his defensive abilities widely recognized. During the summer transfer window, Guéhi was very close to joining Liverpool, but the move ultimately fell through due to a failure to agree on a transfer fee between Crystal Palace and the Reds, which left the player deeply disappointed.

Guéhi's contract expires in June 2026, and he has already explicitly refused to enter renewal negotiations with Crystal Palace. This means he is highly likely to leave as a free agent once his contract ends, attracting attention from several top clubs. Sport has learned that Barcelona is also planning to take steps to sign the English international on a free transfer. However, if Barça wishes to secure his signature, they will face fierce competition. Aside from Liverpool, who have not given up their pursuit and may make another attempt in the winter transfer window, Real Madrid is also closely monitoring Guéhi's situation.