Steve Parish got his wish, as Newcastle United failed to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.
The 24-year-old had looked destined to join the Magpies, with Eddie Howe making Marc Guehi his top transfer target.
Then it was up to Paul Mitchell to do a deal, but the Newcastle United sporting director fell short.
When it emerged on August 29th that the last offer of £70million would not be enough, Newcastle pulled out of a deal for Guehi.
By then, Crystal Palace had raised their asking price to £75million due to how late it was in the window, while there were also fears that their other centre-back Chadi Riad was injured.
That price hike proved to be too much for Newcastle, who walked away. It has since been reported that Newcastle will likely target Guehi again, with Eddie Howe still needing a right-sided centre-back.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi contract plan
But while Newcastle weigh up what to do next regarding their pursuit of Guehi, Crystal Palace are eyeing their next move.
According to the Daily Mail, Crystal Palace are going to try and get Guehi to sign a new contract at Selhurst Park.
His current deal expires in the summer of 2026, which means he will be in the final 18 months of his deal by the time the January transfer window comes around. And the more his contract winds down, the more his value decreases.
That is why Palace want to offer him an extension, with the Daily Mail reporting that a deal would likely include a big pay rise and a release clause worth between £60million and £70million.
However, they add that the England international has reservations regarding a contract extension. It has also been reported that Guehi is in no rush to sign a new deal with Crystal Palace.
Newcastle must play the waiting game with Guehi
With the transfer window closed, Newcastle must simply sit back and wait to see how the Guehi contract talks play out.
If he does sign an extension with a release clause then at least Newcastle will know exactly how much he is going to cost. And if it is as much as £70million, then that is what the Magpies were offering anyway. And if it ends up being £60million, Newcastle can get him for less!
Alternatively, Guehi does not sign a new contract and the pressure mounts on Crystal Palace to sell in January before he enters the final 12 months of his deal. That could also give Newcastle the opportunity to get a better deal, after missing out on Guehi in the summer.
As they did with Botman in 2022, Newcastle have proven that they are willing to wait for the right player. Given how relentlessly they pursued him this summer, they obviously think that Guehi is the right player.
But now the ball is in Palace’s court, as Steve Parish plots his next move after pricing Paul Mitchell out of a deal.
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