Source:REUTERS/Chris Radburn
[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, Marc Guehi will reject any new contract offered by Crystal Palace and plans to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer. The 25-year-old English central defender is disappointed by his failed move to Liverpool, despite having undergone a medical after the clubs agreed on a £35 million fee. Guehi had reportedly agreed to a five-year contract with Liverpool and was waiting at Liverpool’s London offices until the final hours of transfer deadline day. He can now either sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas clubs in January or potentially wait until next summer to complete a move to Anfield. Crystal Palace’s decision to keep Guehi stemmed from intense discussions between manager Oliver Glasner and club chairman Steve Parish. Parish had stated last month that “losing a player for free is never an ideal situation.” Crystal Palace had rejected offers exceeding £65 million for Guehi from Newcastle United last summer and from Tottenham Hotspur this past January. There were concerns that Glasner might resign if the club captain was sold without a suitable replacement being signed. The 51-year-old Austrian manager’s contract expires at the end of this season, and the possibility of an extension had diminished over the summer.