Marc Guehi is starting to get back to his best after missing out on a summer transfer to Newcastle United.
A lot of the summer transfer window was dominated by talk of Newcastle United trying to sign Marc Guehi.
The Magpies were prepared to break the bank for Guehi, who nearly became Newcastle’s most expensive signing ever.
However, Crystal Palace drove a hard bargain, and eventually forced Paul Mitchell to pull out of negotiations. The Eagles raised Guehi’s asking price to £75million, which resulted in the Magpies walking away.
It was a major blow for Newcastle to miss out. Guehi is a top level centre-back, and it had looked for a long time that a deal was inevitable. The noises coming out were that he wanted to head to St James’ Park, despite Guehi not trying to force a move through.
Marc Guehi comments on not signing for Newcastle United in the summer
That was perhaps the difference between Newcastle signing Guehi and not signing Guehi. He remained professional and committed to Crystal Palace, which says a lot about his character.
Now he has addressed what happened over the summer during an interview on Sky Sports Premier League.
Following Crystal Palace’s 2-2 draw with Wolves, Guehi was asked if he found it difficult to refocus following the collapse of his move to Newcastle.
“I would say yeah and no,” he said.
“When you are constantly reading things about yourself, it can be distracting for some people. I’m just glad I have a good support system around me, my family, the club, my friends.
“And it is important that humility, making sure you focus on the task at hand. Palace have given me every single thing in the world and I am completely grateful to them. I just want to repay them and give my best.”
January move to Newcastle feels unlikely for Guehi
Newcastle could still benefit from having a player like Guehi in their squad. However, a fresh approach in January might not be on the cards for Paul Mitchell.
It has been reported that Newcastle’s priority in January is a right winger, despite the centre-back pursuit taking centre stage over the summer.
It is also claimed that Newcastle only have enough money to sign a centre-back or a winger, rather than both.
And while Newcastle might not be prioritising a fresh bid for Guehi, the England international may also have a plan in place for January.
It has been reported that Guehi has been advised to keep his options open until the summer, which would rule out a move during the January transfer window.
If Newcastle United are ever going to complete a deal for Marc Guehi, they might have to wait until the summer of 2025.
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