Barcelona cool down interest in Premier League defender due to financial demands | OneFootball

Earlier today, reports emerged claiming that FC Barcelona sporting director Deco saw Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace as his ideal transfer target for the summer of 2026.

The 25-year-old England international is out of contract at the end of the season and will be available as a free agent, piquing the interest of several top clubs.

With Barça also on the lookout for a central defender, Deco was understood to see the former Chelsea man as the perfect candidate for the club.

Barcelona-Guehi talks cool down

However, according to the latest update from Mundo Deportivo, the financial differences between Guehi and Barcelona are significant, and as such, talks are understood to have cooled considerably.

The 25-year-old defender’s representatives had held meetings with the Catalan club in the past. However, there have been no contacts between the two parties for several weeks, while other clubs have been much more active in their pursuit of the Englishman.

Guehi to Barcelona off? (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Indeed, clubs such as Liverpool and Bayern Munich are in a stronger position to sign him as they are willing to offer a high salary to the England international.

Guehi, for his part, does not want to wait too long to resolve his future and will be able to sign with his next club as early as January.

So, it appears that a move for Guehi is no longer on the cards as far as Barcelona are concerned.

The reigning La Liga champions hold a strong interest in Manchester City ace Josko Gvardiol and Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni, although both could be out of reach due to finances.

So, it will be interesting to see who Barcelona go after in their pursuit of a new centre-back in the summer of 2026.