Marc Guehi to Liverpool takes fresh twist as club 'pull out of transfer talks'

Real Madrid have reportedly ended their interest in Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi ahead of the January transfer window. The highly sought-after Guehi is set to depart from Palace in 2026, but it appears that Madrid will not be his next destination. The England international was on the brink of a move to Liverpool on transfer deadline day, only for Palace chairman Steve Parish to halt proceedings at the 11th hour.

His £35million move fell through, yet Liverpool remain interested in securing the 26 year old's services to strengthen Arne Slot's defence. However, they face stiff competition, with Bayern Munich and Barcelona also monitoring the situation. Both European powerhouses have the upper hand as they can negotiate a free summer transfer with Guehi come January.

Real had been linked with Guehi, whose contract expires on June 30, making him an attractive option for any club seeking a new centre-back.

Yet, despite being available on a free transfer next summer, the financial implications have seemingly deterred Xabi Alonso's team.

Spanish outlet AS claim that Guehi's wages and potential signing-on fee are too high for Madrid. The Spanish titans spent £50m to bring Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth in the summer and do not have the funds to accommodate Guehi as well.

That leaves Bayern Munich as Liverpool's primary rival in the race for Guehi. The German giants are aware they could lose Dayot Upamecano when his contract expires at the end of the campaign, and have identified Guehi as their target.

Bayern remain keen on securing his signature even if Upamecano agrees fresh terms.

Palace chairman Parish has suggested the club would rather allow him to depart on a free transfer in the summer than cash in during January and potentially derail Glasner's campaign. "We needed to keep Marc because the difference between us having a stellar season and having a relegation-threatened season is us winning five games or not," Parish told .

"So the margins in the Premier League are very tight and you have to remember that Michael [Olise] has gone, we're OK, Ebbs (Eberechi Eze) has gone, we're OK, Wilfred [Zaha] went, we're OK. There's a limit to how much you can keep doing that before you break down the fabric of the team."

Parish continued: "Marc was great about it as a person. Liverpool made the offer. It was a massive club, he was obviously interested in going. But he was fine about it, staying, if that was the decision we made. Obviously it means all of the ball is in his court tremendously as a player and he's got the choice of wherever he wants to go."

Liverpool are in dire straits for defensive reinforcements following the loss of summer acquisition Giovanni Leoni to an ACL injury. This leaves Joe Gomez as the sole senior alternative to Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.