Contract decision could spark renewed Arsenal interest in England starter
Marc Guehi is set to reject Crystal Palace’s new contract offer, potentially prompting Arsenal to up their interest in him.
LONDON, ENGLAND: Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace looks on during the warm-up prior to the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on October 27, 2023. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Matt Hughes reports for The S*n that Arsenal and Manchester United are on high alert amid news that Marc Guehi is set to reject a new contract offer from Crystal Palace.
Palace want Guehi to sign a new deal with a release clause, but Hughes claims the player has no intention of doing so. He’s instead keen to explore his options after his return from Euro 2024.
If Guehi doesn’t extend, he’ll have two years remaining on his Palace contract.
LONDON, ENGLAND: Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace controls the ball during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Everton FC at Selhurst Park on April 22, 2023. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Fabrizio Romano reported in May that Guehi does have a concrete chance to leave Palace this summer, but added that it was too early to confirm whether Arsenal would be in the race.
Before that, The Times had claimed that Palace were worried that Guehi is likely to leave this summer.
According to The Times’ report, Manchester United and Arsenal have both scouted Guehi, and football journalist Alan Nixon had also reported that the Gunners had joined the race for the defender.
LONDON, ENGLAND: Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace passes the ball during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Everton FC at Selhurst Park on April 22, 2023. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Arsenal were prepared to make a move for Guehi last summer, with the Daily Mail writing that he was among the club’s key targets if they’d received a ridiculously high bid for Gabriel Magalhaes from interested clubs in Saudi Arabia.
That didn’t happen, and with Arsenal’s interest in Riccardo Calafiori it would be a surprise to see a move for Guehi coming to fruition without a departure for someone like Gabriel.
Yet the player’s stance on a new contract clearly makes him an option if the desire to sign him is there.