Liverpool handed worrying Marc Guehi warning as Fabrizio Romano drops big update on star’s next move

Fabrizio Romano insists Liverpool are a long way from completing the signing of Marc Guehi in 2026 after revealing a LONG list of clubs now battling for the Crystal Palace captain’s signature and ahead of what he has branded a “crazy battle”.

The Reds were on the cusp of landing the classy England defender on transfer deadline day when they agreed a fee worth £35m with the Eagles, that would have guaranteed the London side an additional 10% cut of any future fee. But while Liverpool had agreed terms with the player and a medical had been passed, the rug was pulled from under their feet and Crystal Palace decided to block the proposed deal.

That left a disappointed Guehi having to return to Selhurst Park, where he has continued to put up strong and commanding performances in the heart of Oliver Glasner’s defence.

As so often in life, as one door closes, another one opens; or in Guehi’s case, that looks to be several and with a plethora of clubs now jostling for the chance to land the 26-times capped England defender as a free agent.

And despite the Premier League champions coming within a whisker of landing Guehi on the final day of the summer window, Romano has explained why there are “absolutely no guarantees” a move to Anfield will be finalised in 2026.

“There are many reports about this [Guehi signing for Liverpool next year], and many people may be wondering if it’s already everything agreed between Marc Guehi and Liverpool, just because he agreed the deal in summer 2025, a few weeks ago,” Romano began on the Here We Go podcast.

“But from what I’m hearing, no, it’s not something already decided or pre-agreed between Liverpool and Marc Guehi.

“If they want to sign the player on a free, it is completely different from signing the player by paying a transfer fee to Crystal Palace. You need to renegotiate the terms.

“Of course, Marc Guehi remains very keen on Liverpool, and Liverpool remain very keen on Marc Guehi… But it is not something already pre-agreed, nor is it something signed and nor is this something guaranteed…”

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What happens next for Marc Guehi?

Romano is refusing to rule out a move to Anfield in 2026, however, as he added: “If the question is, will Liverpool be there for 2026 on a free, then the answer is ‘for sure’.

“But if the question is, is something already agreed and done for 2026 at this stage, the answer is ‘not yet’.

“Marc Guehi has many different opportunities to assess, and so we have to follow the situation and see what happens first before we start talking about Liverpool landing him on a free transfer.”

Bayern Munich have been strongly linked with a move for Guehi in recent days, with Florian Plettenberg among those revealing ‘concrete interest’ and ‘initial talks’ with the Bundesliga side in his services.

However, Romano insists Bayern and Liverpool are not the only clubs circling and claims multiple sides are making it clear they would welcome the chance to land the former Chelsea man as a free agent.

“It’s going to be a big battle, a big, big battle for Marc Guehi; in fact, I will say a massive one involving several clubs….

“Liverpool will be there in 2026, for sure, but more English clubs are interested in the player. He’s always been on the list of several clubs, including, for example, Newcastle.

“And not only, but from what I’m hearing, also top Italian clubs too. Top Spanish clubs have also started calling to understand the situation of Marc Guehi. Then there’s been some calls from Bayern. They are another club very much in the market for an important centre-back signing in 2026 and Marc Guehi is very much on their list and on the list of all these top clubs interested in an excellent player like him.

“They are impressed by not just his defending but also the leadership of Marc, here. So they are on the same page on this.

“Palace know, though, he will not sign a new contract. And he will 100% become a free agent in 2026, meaning the big battle has started.

“It will take some time before we understand who’s going to win this race. But right now, it is going to be a crazy battle for sure.”

Our transfer insider Dean Jones also thinks the Guehi rumour needs to be taken seriously and has revealed the 25-year-old has a very open mind on where to play next.

“I think we need to be very clear that the situation has changed with Guehi,” Jones insisted. “He is looking at things from a fresh perspective now. His approach to a transfer is unclouded by past thoughts.

“So I would take the Bayern rumour seriously, it might be something that starts to hold real appeal as the player thinks about his next move.

“Of course, there was a sense of disappointment when his move to Liverpool fell through, but some of the reports were over the top in terms of his reaction.

“He always knew there was a chance that the deal could collapse, and he’s a level-headed player who knows other opportunities are ahead of him.

“He did want to join Liverpool and is still interested, but now the situation is completely open. I don’t think he is any more likely to commit to Anfield than any other major club at this moment.

“I understand he’s looking at everything with fresh eyes and Bayern could well become a very interesting option.”

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Meanwhile, Guehi is not the only central defender on Liverpool’s wishlist with reports in Spain claiming Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande has been identified as their number one replacement for Ibrahima Konate if the Frenchman departs next summer.

A look at the stats of the Ivorian player, whom Ruben Amorim has serious affection for, shows that the Reds could be signing a ‘monster’.

The last few games at Anfield have certainly not gone to plan and, if Liverpool are to return to their very best, they will need Mo Salah to return to form after a few low-key appearances lately.

On that note, we’ve taken a deep dive into the Egyptian’s struggles at Anfield in recent weeks, naming eight reasons behind his poor form under Slot right now. We’ve also asked if a 2026 sale could indeed be on the cards…

And finally, the Reds have their gaze firmly set on signing a £75m-rated Premier League star, second only to Erling Haaland right now, and with Richard Hughes offering the Premier League champions a significant transfer advantage over their rivals.

Cast your vote: Where will Marc Guehi play next season?