“I don’t like the limelight,” Marc Guéhi reluctantly admitted in what many expected to be his final post-match press conference while wearing a sweat-stained Crystal Palace kit on Sunday evening.
Yet, much to the chagrin of Liverpool and the softly spoken centre back, Guéhi will spend at least the next four months in south London after a late breakdown which gained more attention than many of the window’s completed deals.
Liverpool’s risky strategy, a power struggle at the summit of Crystal Palace and a Serbian at AC Milan all played their part in this high-profile non-transfer which deserves a little more of the limelight.
Agreements With Liverpool
All the way back in the first half of August, it was widely reported that Liverpool had agreed personal terms with Guéhi. Unlike some other Anfield arrivals, Palace’s captain blocked out the noise to continue playing for his current employers yet the generally accepted impression is that he was keen to join the defending Premier League champions.
As Palace chair Steve Parish outlined in the aftermath of the Community Shield triumph at the expense of Liverpool, the Eagles would likely have to accept a suitable offer for the defender or else risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires next summer. Despite their FA Cup triumph and European qualification, the south London outfit had some balancing of the books to do after losing a combined £200 million ($267.8 million) over the past five years.
The deal could perhaps been wrapped up earlier had Liverpool matched Palace’s asking price of £45 million, yet they had all the leverage. Guéhi wasn’t realistically linked with any rival suitor and Parish had made his club’s delicate financial position abundantly clear. The Eagles blinked first, reportedly accepting Liverpool’s offer of £35 million plus a 10% sell-on clause on the morning of Deadline Day.
Around the same time, Guéhi told Palace manager Glasner that he wanted to leave and underwent at least the first part of a medical in London later that afternoon, per The Athletic.
The boards of both clubs and the player himself were happy yet official confirmation remained unforthcoming. Before the 7 p.m. UK deadline passed, a deal sheet was submitted to afford the clubs an extra two hours to dot the i’s and add an accent to the e’s, but, still, no agreement could be struck.
Failed Replacement Hunt
The first whispers of Palace stalling over Guéhi’s departure surfaced at the same time a separate deal for another Premier League centre back threatened to unravel. The Times were the first to report that Palace’s approach for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Igor Julio had fallen through.
The two clubs had supposedly agreed a loan deal and Igor had already travelled to Palace’s training ground only to end up as a West Ham United player by Tuesday. However, it is believed that the failed hunt for the Brazilian was not the turning point in the Guéhi saga. Much like French teenager Jaydee Canvot—who did sign for Palace—Igor was considered another defensive option rather than Guéhi’s replacement.
There were links to Manuel Akanji before his move to Inter and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez, while Milan’s Strahinja Pavlović was billed Palace’s preferred choice to replace Guéhi by Sky Sports. The Serbia international never made his way out of San Siro, leaving Palace without anyone to fill the void Guéhi threatened to create.
Oliver Glasner’s ‘Powerplay’
Despite the yawning chasm at the back Guéhi’s exit would have caused, a move had not yet been ruled out. The firm stance taken by Glasner, on top of a lack of a replacement, ultimately proved crucial.
“We had a meeting in March where we talked about the situation so again we know how the situation is and we have an agreement that we could sell Marc if we have the right replacement in,” Glasner bluntly outlined on Sunday. The Austrian explained that he was hoping for Guéhi’s replacement in July, let alone the first night of September.
Left “extremely unhappy” by the club’s acceptance of Liverpool’s bid, Glaser had “heated talks” with Parish on Monday evening, The Guardian claims. There were even “fears” that he would walk away from the club entirely had he been robbed of his star defender.
Glasner only has one year left on his contract and holds incredible cache after leading the Eagles to the club’s only two major trophies in their 120-year existence.
“I know if we don’t sell Marc, he will accept it,” Glasner shrugged before the turmoil unfolded on Deadline Day. “He loves the club and team, he feels the appreciation and we feel the same from his side. That’s why I have to say we need to keep him.”
Guéhi has remained defiantly circumspect throughout this rumbling saga—which is his third in as many transfer windows following approaches from Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. “I’m glad I have a good club and good teammates around me,” Guéhi told reporters over the weekend. “When you focus on what is important, the football, it makes it a bit easier.” Now, he will be able to do just that. Until January, at least.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How and Why Marc Guehi’s Move to Liverpool Broke Down.