Marc Guehi is reportedly reconsidering his decision to join Liverpool, even though he was very close to becoming a part of the Premier League champions on the final day of the transfer deadline.

The 25-year-old defender underwent a medical with Liverpool after they had agreed on a £35 million fee with Crystal Palace and prepared a five-year contract. Moreover, the necessary documents were submitted to the Premier League punctually.

But the move collapsed when Palace were unable to secure a replacement defender in time, forcing the club to block the sale.

However, Guehi remains a free agent next summer and can start negotiating with foreign clubs by January for a potential move in the summer. There’s also the possibility of him leaving in January for a reduced fee.

According to The Mirror, Guehi might prefer transferring to a different major European club rather than Liverpool—a club that has often been a formidable opponent for the Reds in recent years.

It is reported that Guehi has told his agent that he wants to move to Real Madrid when he is allowed to depart Palace.

He is reportedly enthusiastic about playing abroad and could potentially team up with current Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who is also nearing the end of his contract. Konate has not yet renewed his deal.

The French defender has also been associated with a move to Madrid, which is where former Liverpool vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold is currently playing.

Liverpool’s Arne Slot said earlier this week that he felt for Guehi after the transfer collapsed. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: ‘For us it was of course a disappointment, for the player I assume, as well, because he was expecting to come to us.

‘I try to put myself in the player’s shoes, but that can happen with a player from us as well, maybe a player wanted to leave but in the end couldn’t because we couldn’t get a player we wanted, that happens in football many times and the good thing in football is, especially after the international break, everybody comes back, accepts the situation and knows he has to perform well.

‘But if a player wants a transfer that he doesn’t get, then you always feel for him. If it’s a player of my team, you talk to him, make sure he gets his energy back and keeps going again, and that is probably what has happened at Palace with Marc Guehi.’ 

The England international joined Palace from Chelsea in 2021 and has since become one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers, featuring for Gareth Southgate’s side at Euro 2024.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner made clear in the final few days of the transfer window that he did not want to lose Guehi without a replacement lined up, stressing the defender was ‘necessary’ to the club’s hopes of enjoying a successful season.

‘We had a meeting in March where we talked about the situation and we had an agreement that we could sell Marc if we had the right replacement in,’ Glasner explained. ‘We wanted to have this replacement at the beginning of pre-season to be independent.

‘That was on July 9 when the season started. It’s August 31 and there is no replacement in the building so it’s clear one part of the agreement is not fulfilled. That means we can’t sell Marc. It’s not a wish or gift for Oliver Glasner, it’s necessary for playing a successful season.’

Guehi, who has 25 England caps, scored in Palace’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa earlier on in the transfer window, but declined to address the transfer speculation afterwards. ‘All I know is when you score goals like that it is always down to team performance,’ he said.

The collapse came amid a frantic close to the window that still saw Liverpool complete a British-record £125m deal for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, and they also picked up Florian Wirtz for £116m.