Barcelona, Real Madrid told Marc Guehi is ‘very much open’ to LaLiga transfer as Liverpool stall over January offer | OneFootball

TEAMtalk has been told by sources close to Barcelona and Real Madrid that they both remain firmly in the hunt for Marc Guehi, while Liverpool’s stance on a January raid for a player Manchester City are set to make a concrete bid for has also come to light.

The quest to sign Guehi is already one of 2026’s hottest transfer subjects. Having come within a whisker of joining Liverpool in a £35m transfer on the summer’s deadline day, the 25-year-old defender has returned to Crystal Palace to enjoy a quite outstanding season.

But after making it clear he would not be extending his contract at Selhurst Park, the race to sign the 26-times capped England defender has really heated up, with sources referring to the centre-half as ‘one of the most in-demand free agents of all time’.

To that end, we can confirm that Liverpool manager Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are still very much keen on signing Guehi, despite claims of a gentleman’s agreement over a move to Anfield being dismissed out of hand by sources.

Our transfer insider, Dean Jones, reported on Monday that Man City are planning to make a bid of £35million (€40.3m, $47.1m) for Guehi, with Palace willing to sell him in the middle of the season.

Guehi and his camp, though, have been happy to wait and consider his options, with a move in the summer on a free transfer looking the most likely option.

And while both City and Liverpool both feel that a move for the player this month may represent their best chance of landing him, a move by the Merseysiders still remains far from certain amid claims they could instead decide to run the risk of trying to sign him on a free transfer at the season’s end.

Guehi himself is not pushing to leave Selhurst Park in January, and he is fully aware of interest from elsewhere.

Bayern Munich, who are close to finalising a new deal with their own contract rebel Dayot Upamecano, have held talks in the last month.

And we can now confirm that the lure of Spain remains something very much in Guehi’s thoughts, with both Real Madrid and Barcelona still very much in contention for his signature…

What sources are saying about Guehi joining Barcelona or Real Madrid

A source within Barcelona would not be drawn into detail, but when asked if they are ready and able to make a contract offer to Guehi, despite their ongoing financial issues, the reply was simply: “Yes, we can. He is a very interesting player.”

We also spoke with sources in Madrid, who were less coy and stated: “Marc Guehi is one of the best defenders in Europe, we are aware of him, and he is aware of us.”

The Spanish giants would prefer to sign Guehi as a free agent at the end of his contract in the summer, thus avoiding the need to fork out a sizeable transfer fee, though there is truth in the fact that a large portion of that saving would be negated by the hefty signing-on fee that the former Chelsea defender will command.

Either way, Palace boss Oliver Glasner admits that his side may have little choice but to cash in should a huge offer arrive, though, speaking to Sky Sports in the wake of Wednesday night’s goalless draw against Aston Villa, he also revealed why he thinks he will remain at the club until the season’s end.

“I think Marc will stay, but if Marc says ‘I want to leave’, and a club pays massive money – with five months left of a contract – every player will leave if you’re playing for a club like Crystal Palace.

“I’m pretty sure our chairman will ask for a very high price for him and then let’s see. I don’t know if Marc wants to leave.”

Asked again if he feared his exit this month, Glasner continued: “No more worried than in the summer because the summer would’ve been the same.

“If the offer would have been high enough that the club is fine with it and if Marc wanted to go, he wouldn’t be a Crystal Palace player anymore.

“I think last January would’ve been the same and the year before would be the same. Every single player has a price where the club will sell him when you’re Crystal Palace and maybe because we’re not the end of the food chain in football.

“For me, it was a little bit surprising what was made out of it, because it’s exactly the same situation as it was in the summer.

“Right now, when I see him playing, when I see him training, when I see his commitment and when we are talking quite often together, then I think the fans can be really calm, but you never know what will happen in football.”

Alexander-Arnold speculation dismissed; Barcelona pair linked to Man Utd

Meanwhile, claims that Manchester City have started making moves to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer of 2026 have drawn a rapid response, amid an explanation as to whether Real Madrid will sell the former Liverpool star to Pep Guardiola’s side.

Elsewhere, sources have told us that Tottenham Hotspur are planning to Real Madrid for a bench-warmer, who himself is open to a move to the Premier League.

At Barcelona, two Blaugrana stars have been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United amid claims their summer managerial target, Xavi, plans to make the duo his first signings at Old Trafford should he get the job.

And finally, a Spanish publication has speculated over whether Marcus Rashford could be on his way back to Old Trafford following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal this week and with Barca’s stance on the England forward also coming to light.