£25m star ‘prefers’ Real Madrid to Barcelona as Xabi Alonso RUINS Hansi Flick plan – report

Real Madrid have received a massive boost in their quest to beat Barcelona to the signing of one of the Premier League’s best players, according to a source in Spain, but TEAMtalk analyses why Liverpool are a major threat to Los Blancos’ chances of bringing him to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Both Real Madrid and Barcelona were active in the summer transfer window, as Spain’s two biggest clubs aim to win LaLiga as well as the Champions League this season.

Madrid signed Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Franco Mastantuono to enhance Xabi Alonso’s side’s chances of being successful in the 2025/26 campaign, while Barcelona manager Hansi Flick now has Joan Garcia, Marcus Rashford, Ander Astralaga and Roony Bardghji at his disposal in his squad.

Like all other big clubs, Madrid and Barcelona always have an eye on future signings, and in Marc Guehi, the two Spanish and European giants have identified a bargain acquisition.

Guehi is out of contract at Crystal Palace at the end of the season and is eligible to sign a pre-contract with Real Madrid or Barcelona from January 1.

Liverpool thought that they had secured a deal for Guehi on the final day of the summer transfer window, with the defender even undergoing a medical, but Palace pulled the plug in the final hours after they failed to sign a replacement.

The defending Premier League champions remain keen on Guehi, whose status as a free agent next summer has drawn interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich as well.

According to Defensa Central, Guehi has told those close to him that he ‘prefers to go to Real Madrid’ to moving to Barcelona.

The Real Madrid-centric news outlet has claimed that should the England international fail to get a move to Liverpool in January or next summer, then Madrid would be his next choice.

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Liverpool favourites for Marc Guehi

Real Madrid are the masters of free signings, having secured the services of David Alaba in 2021, Antonio Rudiger in 2022 and Kylian Mbappe in 2024 after their contracts with their respective clubs ran out.

Even though Madrid paid Liverpool €10million (£8.7m, $11.7m) for Trent Alexander-Arnold, it was only so that they could get the right-back out of his contract early to allow him to play for Los Blancos at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Madrid had already agreed on a deal with Alexander-Arnold to sign him as a free agent, after the England international turned down multiple offers of a new contract from Liverpool.

Guehi is 25 and is one of the best defenders in the Premier League, so the news that Real Madrid have an eye on him does not come as a surprise.

Madrid have reportedly told Guehi’s camp that they will make an offer for him next summer.

However, as things stand, Liverpool are the favourites to sign Guehi, with The Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele and Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke both making the claim.

Guehi is available for £25m (€29m, $34m) in the January transfer window, but Liverpool do not have any plans to pay that, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Romano has reported that Liverpool’s ‘intention’ is to sign Guehi as a free agent next summer.

Liverpool and Guehi are in ‘open dialogue’ at the moment, according to Football Insider, with the defending Premier League champions having told the 25-year-old that they still want to sign him.

Guehi is fully aware of how keen Liverpool are on him, and even though Real Madrid and Barcelona could offer him a pre-contract in January, the defender is very likely to wait until next summer to evaluate all the options.

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