'Always important' - Guehi responds to Newcastle United speculation after Crystal Palace set stance

Newcastle United transfer target Marc Guehi has insisted he can put aside speculation over his future to focus on Crystal Palace’s first game of the season this weekend.

The England centre-back has been the subject of three separate offers from the Magpies as they look to add to Eddie Howe’s options at the heart of his defence. The latest offer was submitted on Tuesday lunchtime and although there has been no official clarification over whether it has been rejected, comments from Palace chairman Steve Parrish seemed to indicate Newcastle had not yet met the £65m valuation he places upon Guehi.

As it stands, the former Chelsea academy graduate will be part of the Eagles squad that will face a trip to Brentford this Sunday as Oliver Glasner’s side get their Premier League campaign underway with a short trip across London. Whether there will be any clarification over Guehi’s future at Palace before the game remains to be seen - but the England Euro 2024 star has insisted he is focused on Sunday’s meeting with the Bees.

When asked if he can focus on on-field affairs with speculation over his future dominating the headlines, he told Sky Sports: "I can, I've been doing it my whole life really. I've never really been one to be looking too much into myself, if that makes sense. But I think it's always important to focus on what truly is important, and that's the game at the weekend, making sure that for the rest of the season as a team we're at it."

Guehi also responded to comments from Palace chairman Steve Parish after he claimed the Eagles star was a loved at Selhurst Park and warned Newcastle would have to pay ‘superstar money’ before his club would consider a lucrative sale of one of their prize assets.

Parish told Sky Sports: "If you want a superstar player, you've got to pay superstar money. This is a player we love a lot. If we start the season with him, we'll be a better team. We're nowhere near the point where we need to make a decision. We love having him at the club and we would love to keep him at the club. So if somebody wants to make that otherwise, they have got to make it really difficult for us. At the moment, that's not the situation we're in.

“Marc Guehi is as decent a human being and a footballer as you could ever possibly hope to meet. Marc is absolutely loyal to Crystal Palace. Marc wants to progress his career, of course he does and if the right opportunity is there and it's right for us, I think it's something that he might be interested in. But he's certainly not putting any pressure on the club whatsoever.’

In response, Guehi described the comments as ‘really nice words’ and described Parish as a big part of the Selhurst Park setup. He said: "Humbled, humbled by that. For someone that is such a big part of this football club, for him to say something like that is amazing, for someone like me. I'm not sure I'm a superstar, but some really kind words from the chairman, so it's really nice to hear that."