Liverpool now favourites to land the defender they narrowly missed out on during deadline day
Real Madrid have ended their interest in signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi after being put off by the England defender’s wage and signing-on demands.
According to reports in Spain, Madrid were keen on Guehi as part of their long-term defensive rebuild under Xabi Alonso but walked away after talks revealed financial terms that the club deemed excessive.
The centre-back is under contract at Selhurst Park until 2026 but has refused to sign an extension, meaning that he will be leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Sources close to Madrid say their recruitment team were impressed by Guehi’s development since joining Palace from Chelsea in 2021 and by his performances for England.
However, Guehi’s representatives are believed to have requested a substantial pay rise and a multi-million-pound signing bonus, which Madrid felt exceeded their salary structure for defenders.
Madrid are now expected to pursue alternative targets, with defensive reinforcements needed given the ageing of key defenders David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger.
Liverpool are now seen as favourites to land Guehi, having monitored him closely over the past year and only narrowly missing out on signing him on deadline day in the summer.
Bayern Munich are also keeping tabs on the situation, with sporting director Christoph Freund reportedly an admirer of the England international.
