Real reason Marc Guehi transfer to Liverpool collapsed and what happens next

Why Marc Guehi’s transfer to Liverpool collapsed has been confirmed and the one figure who’ll be pleased it has has been named.

Liverpool and Crystal Palace agreed a £35m fee for the transfer of Marc Guehi. The terms also included a 10 percent sell-on clause for Palace.

Guehi shook hands with Liverpool on a five-year contract and even passed a medical on Monday.

However, the deal is now OFF, with multiple top sources including Fabrizio Romano confirming as much.

“Marc Guehi-Liverpool deal has COLLAPSED,” declared Romano on X.

Liverpool submitted a deal sheet to provide an extra two hours after 7pm to complete the move.

However, the deal rested on Crystal Palace giving the final green light and that did not occur after the Eagles failed to sign a suitable replacement.

Palace have signed Jaydee Canvot from Toulouse, though the club wanted a second, more experienced option to serve as Guehi’s direct replacement.

The player they had in mind was Brighton’s Igor, though the defender performed a U-turn on deadline day and aborted his move to Palace in favour of pushing to join West Ham.

As such, and despite everything being agreed and a medical passed, Guehi will not become a Liverpool player right now.

Glasner chuffed / Guehi to Liverpool in 2026?

While there’ll be mass disappointment all round, one figure who’ll be overjoyed at the deal crumbling is Palace manager, Oliver Glasner.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Fraser Fletcher, was told earlier today that Glasner was fuming at the possibility of his club selling Guehi and not landing a worthy replacement.

The report from the Athletic that reaffirmed Guehi’s deal is off has now backed up our reporting from earlier today.

The Athletic’s piece read: ‘Head coach Oliver Glasner has been vocally opposed to Guehi’s sale this summer and has been resolute that his captain could not be allowed to leave unless an appropriate replacement was found.’

Guehi is staying put at Selhurst Park for now, but he’s in the final year of his contract and there are no signs an extension will be signed.

Given the player was more than willing to join Liverpool, the expectation is the Reds will now sign Guehi at the end of the season via free agency.

That now means Joe Gomez – whose move to AC Milan was called off even before Guehi’s own deal collapsed – will remain as Liverpool’s primary back-up to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

Giovanni Leoni is also on the books following his £26m arrival from Parma.