Exclusive: Marc Guehi blames Liverpool for transfer collapse in private confession
Marc Guehi has set his heart on joining Real Madrid next year ahead of Liverpool and his other suitors, sources have told Football Insider.
The Crystal Palace skipper came close to moving to Anfield on deadline day before the transfer collapsed at the eleventh hour.
Sources with knowledge of the situation say Guehi “privately” blames Liverpool for failing to secure an agreement at the turn of the month.
Guehi’s camp felt the Premier League champions delayed their move and then spent too long haggling over the fee and the terms of the deal.
Liverpool are no longer in pole position to sign the centre-back ahead of his Palace contract expiring next June.
The England international will have the final say on his next destination and will have the cream of Europe’s elite to choose from.
Real are keen on the 25-year-old, while Football Insider revealed on 22 September that Bayern Munich and Barcelona have also expressed an interest in signing Guehi.
Liverpool are steering clear of a mid-season deal, which means a move to a European giant at the turn of the year is now a concrete possibility.
It comes at a time when Arne Slot has just learned that summer signing Giovanni Leoni is set to miss the rest of the season with an ACL knee injury.
That leaves the Liverpool boss with just three senior centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez, who started for Liverpool alongside Leoni in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win over Southampton.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich make moves to sign Guehi
The fact that Guehi has blamed Liverpool for the collapse of his summer move opens the door for other elite clubs to sign him in the January transfer window.
Meanwhile, European giants Real Madrid are interested in Guehi, as well as Barcelona and Bayern Munich, in a worrying development for Slot’s men.
The former Chelsea man has enjoyed a strong start to the new season with Palace, notching a goal in their 3-0 win over Aston Villa last month.
Liverpool hit by devastating Giovanni Leoni update
While Guehi has his heart set on joining Madrid, Liverpool have been handed another blow in the centre-back department by Leoni’s season-ending ACL injury.
| Giovanni Leoni stats | All competitions 2025/26 |
| Appearances | 1 |
| Goals | 0 |
| Assists | 0 |
The 18-year-old impressed on his debut in the 2-1 win over Southampton in the Carabao Cup, but had to be replaced by fellow signing Milos Kerkez in the 81st minute.
Leoni’s setback will leave Slot more reliant on Gomez, who has also encountered fitness issues, having made just nine Premier League appearances last term.
Slot needs as much strength in depth as possible, with Liverpool vying to retain their top-flight title while also progressing in the Champions League, Carabao Cup, and the FA Cup.
In their next Premier League game, on Saturday, 27 September, the Reds face Palace for the first time since Guehi’s move to Anfield fell through.
Slot’s side then face Galatasaray in their first away trip of the Champions League campaign, before their top-flight season hands them back-to-back fixtures with rivals Chelsea and Manchester United.