Liverpool issued Marc Guehi transfer statement as Crystal Palace make feelings clear

Crystal Palace are facing a difficult situation over captain Marc Guehi, who continues to play for the club while in negotiations to join Liverpool in the summer transfer window

Liverpool have been told they cannot sign Marc Guehi in the next week after Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner put his foot down over the frustrating situation.

Palace played the first leg of their Conference League play-off against Fredrikstad on Thursday night without Eberechi Eze, who is leaving to join Arsenal. Palace beat the Norwegian side 1-0 with Guehi captaining the side, but the late withdrawal of Eze – who is leaving in a £67.5million move to Arsenal in the coming days – caused a distraction.

Guehi has played both of Palace’s matches this season but remains in talks over a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window, which closes on September 1. He has entered the final year of his contract with Palace, who are under pressure to sell now or lose him for nothing next summer.

It is a frustrating situation for Glasner, who openly expressed his dismay at his squad, after only being able to name nine of the 12 permitted substitutes on Thursday. “We have to, especially for the second leg,” Glasner told Channel 5 when asked if Palace would hold onto Guehi. “No injured player will come back and we cannot register anyone so we have to keep him.

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“We already rested Chris Richards and Ty Mitchell who had small problems. There is no other choice than keeping Marc for these games. He knows it, everybody knows it. If we want to compete in all of these competitions we need players, that is pretty clear.”

Palace travel to Norway for the second leg of the play-off on Thursday, August 28, which would then leave a three-day window for Guehi to join Liverpool afterwards. Negotiations have reached a stand still, with Palace demanding £45m for their captain, while Liverpool won’t go above £35m.

“If Marc [Guehi] leaves maybe I will try my boots because I was a centre-back. We have to act. It’s Crystal Palace’s future and we need to add numbers,” Glasner added.

“We are very, very late to find replacements. I think we could behaved much better than we did. It’s not the best way to start the season. I think we are below the edge.”

While Glasner clearly wants to keep his centre-back, Palace chairman Steve Parish has a more realistic approach. He said: “If Marc wants to sign a new contract then he can stay! It’s a difficult situation. Everyone has to sell players to comply with the rules. That’s a situation that we will have to look at in the next 11 days.”

With Eze not present at Selhurst Park, the attention was on Guehi, who had a cameraman follow him across the pitch as he applauded the fans after the full-time whistle. “There’s other players you know,” he said with a smile, pointing over his shoulder.

Parish has negotiated the exit of Eze to Arsenal and said: “It is what it is, we’ve got to move past. He’s been fantastic for the club, we all love him for what he’s done, what he’s achieved and we’re pleased he can go on and achieve the other ambitions that he’s got.

“The King is dead, long live the King, we have to move past it. We have to find other players to bring in that can support the rest of the team and Oliver.

“We’ll bring in players, it’s about finding the right ones. It’s difficult to replace players like that. We’re probably a little bit thin anyway. We’ll try and use the money and make ourselves, maybe not as individually as good, but broader with a stronger base and with a few more options.”

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