Oliver Glasner admits Crystal Palace star could be allowed to leave in January

Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has openly acknowledged that club captain Marc Guéhi could yet leave Selhurst Park during the January transfer window, as uncertainty continues to surround the defender’s long-term future.

Guéhi, 25, is entering the final months of his contract and has already informed Palace that he will not sign an extension.

That decision has placed the south London club in a delicate position.

The England international was close to completing a move to Liverpool on deadline day of the summer transfer window, with a £35 million deal agreed in principle.

However, Palace ultimately pulled the plug at the eleventh hour after failing to secure a suitable replacement, opting to retain Guéhi for the start of the season rather than weaken their defensive core.

Since then, Guéhi’s reputation has only continued to grow. Widely regarded as one of the most composed and complete centre-backs in the Premier League, he has become one of the hottest commodities in European football.

Several elite clubs are monitoring his situation closely, with Real Madrid and Barcelona both touted as admirers, alongside multiple Premier League clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool.

With his contract expiring, Guéhi holds significant leverage as he approaches the summer window, when he would be free to negotiate a move without a transfer fee.

Speaking ahead of Palace’s clash with Aston Villa, Glasner admitted he is fully aware of the realities facing the club and conceded that Palace may be forced into a sale if the right offer arrives, a reported by News Shopper.

“There’s the situation that the contract ends in the summer. Iif somebody is coming, there will be a moment when the club says: ‘Now the financial issue is more important than the sport issue.’ We have to do it and try to get the best. That’s why I’m always saying: ‘I don’t know.’ Because this is different”.

“There will be a threshold where the club has to say [sell] … If the player says: ‘I want to leave’ and the money is above the threshold, it will happen. I’m not so naive not to know that if a massive offer comes from City and Marc wants to do it, it will happen.”

For Palace, Guéhi’s potential departure would be a major blow on the pitch, given his leadership, consistency, and importance to their defensive structure.

However, the club are also conscious of the financial risk of allowing a high-value asset to walk away for free.

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