Image source: football365.com
Arsenal have joined the race to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, who is out of contract at the end of the season and attracting interest from Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirming the Gunners’ long-standing interest in the England defender.
Arsenal Confirm Interest in Marc Guehi as Liverpool and Man City Circle Palace Captain
Guehi’s contract expires in the summer, creating significant transfer interest from multiple clubs across Europe. Manchester City are viewed as red-hot favourites and want the defender immediately following injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, while Arsenal and Liverpool are more likely to pursue him as a free agent when his Palace deal concludes at the season’s end.
The Athletic correspondent David Ornstein confirmed that Mikel Arteta’s side have maintained a long-standing interest in the Palace skipper, though the defender is more likely to be an option for the summer transfer market rather than January. Arsenal are described as keen on what would represent a no-brainer transfer, joining Liverpool among Guehi’s suitors for a potential summer move on a free transfer.
Palace and Guehi reportedly have an amicable understanding that he would see out the final months of his current contract at Selhurst Park. The England international is not actively pushing to leave mid-season despite being available in January, with foreign clubs now able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement for a summer transfer.
Arsenal’s interest appears partly motivated by preventing Guehi from joining title rivals, despite already possessing a strong defensive partnership in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. The club also have younger centre-backs Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera available, though securing one of the Premier League’s best defenders could provide significant squad depth and deny competitors a key target.
