Marc Guéhi's future remains uncertain, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich competing to sign the Crystal Palace captain in 2026, either in January or when his contract expires
Bayern Munich are going full steam ahead with their attempts to sign Marc Guehi – and the German giants have one advantage over Liverpool. Guehi will leave Crystal Palace in 2026, with his contract expiring in the summer, but his destination and his exit date remain undetermined.
Liverpool had previously been considered heavy favourites to land Guehi, having come so close to signing him in the summer. The England international had completed a medical and was all set to join in a £35million transfer before Palace chairman Steve Parish pulled the plug on deadline day.
Arne Slot wants Guehi to add depth to his central defensive options, with the injury to Giovanni Leoni leaving him short. However, Slot has hinted that Liverpool won’t rush to try and land Guehi in January – and that could leave them at risk of losing him to Bayern.
Like many of Europe’s top sides, Bayern are interested in signing Guehi, who could be tempted to follow in the footsteps of his England team-mate Harry Kane by moving to Bavaria. Bayern know they could lose Dayot Upamecano at the end of the season, with the defender’s contract set to expire, and they are homing in on Guehi.
Bild reports that sporting director Christoph Freund has spoken to Palace manager Oliver Glasner about Guehi. Bayern don’t see Guehi as being connected to the potential exit of Upamecano, and, like Liverpool, see him as an opportunity too good to turn down.
Crucially, Bayern will be able to speak to Guehi about a potential summer free transfer on January 1 via the Bosman Ruling. Liverpool know the situation all too well, having lost Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid in a similar fashion over the summer.
Bayern have already started putting in the ground work, with director of sport Max Eberl having already met with Guehi’s representatives in Munich. Guehi was very keen to leave Palace for Liverpool in the summer, but it remains to be seen whether his head can be turned.
Speaking about the situation recently, Glasner said: “I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year. The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, 'No, I want to make something different'.
“And that's normal. And for us, it's [about] how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together.”
Despite his situation, Guehi has continued to wear the captain’s armband for Palace and has made 15 appearances in all competitions so far this season. He remains a crucial player for the club he joined in 2021 from Chelsea and will leave with their best wishes in 2026.