Glasner’s Frustration Grows as Liverpool Circle for Guehi

Glasner Questions Palace Strategy While Reds Watch On

In the hills of Austria, where Crystal Palace prepare for another Premier League campaign, Oliver Glasner is already feeling the strain. His squad is thin, his words laced with frustration, and the looming presence of Liverpool circling Marc Guehi is only adding to the tension.

“I was promised that we would be more active and bring in the new players earlier this year,” said Glasner. That promise, it seems, remains unfulfilled. The Palace boss revealed he currently has just 17 outfield players. “If that happens and we get four new ones on deadline day like last year, another false start is possible.”

It is a stark message from a manager who guided Palace to an FA Cup triumph over Manchester City and a respectable 12th-place finish in the league. Now, though, as they prepare for European competition, the worry is whether the squad is robust enough to compete on multiple fronts, especially if Guehi goes.

Guehi Becomes Key Target for Liverpool

Liverpool, meanwhile, are watching. The Anfield hierarchy is said to be monitoring Guehi’s situation closely, with the England defender entering the final year of his contract. There are strong suggestions that he does not intend to extend his stay at Selhurst Park.

This makes him an ideal candidate for a club seeking long-term defensive stability. Aged 25, with Premier League and international experience, Guehi fits the Liverpool model. He was a starter in England’s Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain, and carries the sort of profile that suits Arne Slot’s reshaped defensive structure.

The Reds are not in panic mode, but they are pragmatic. Jarell Quansah’s move to Bayer Leverkusen for £35 million leaves a gap, and with Ibrahima Konate entering the final year of his contract and Joe Gomez picking up a minor Achilles problem, Guehi’s name will stay in the frame.

Slot Plays Down Urgency But Leaves Door Open

Slot, in typically measured fashion, suggested there is no crisis at centre-back. After the 4-2 pre-season loss to AC Milan in Hong Kong, he said: “I’m looking to my left (Virgil van Dijk) and I don’t think we have a concern at centre-back.”

He added that Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo could cover the position in a pinch, and noted that Gomez’s injury is minor. But he also acknowledged: “It’s true that Jarell Quansah left and we haven’t replaced him yet.”

That quiet admission is telling. Liverpool are not scrambling, but they are calculating. Guehi, with his contract running down, could become the perfect value acquisition.

Palace’s Summer Stagnation Could Cost Them

For Palace, the concern is not just who might leave, but who might come in. Only Borna Sosa and Walter Benítez have arrived so far, and Glasner’s tone makes it clear that more is needed.

Guehi’s departure would cut deep. He is the captain, a leader at the back, and a symbol of the club’s recent progression. Losing him would not just be a loss in quality, but in belief.

And Liverpool, in that familiar, measured manner, are watching quietly, ready to move if the moment comes.