'Tough' - Marc Guehi breaks silence on failed £70m Newcastle United summer transfer & Crystal Palace struggles

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Marc Guehi has opened up on Crystal Palace's tough start to the season after a proposed move to Newcastle United failed to materialise in the summer.

Guehi was Newcastle’s top transfer target for the final month of the summer transfer window but a deal failed to come to fruition with Palace holding out for more than £70million for the England centre-back. The Magpies were unwilling to offer more than £55million upfront but remain interested in the 24-year-old and could look to strike a deal in January.

By that point, Newcastle will be in a stronger negotiating position with Guehi into the final 18 months of his contract and likely to command a lower fee. The decision not to cash in Guehi in the summer is understood to have caused tension amongst the Palace hierarchy.

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And the club have endured a tough start to the new Premier League season as they currently sit in the relegation zone without a win in their opening seven matches. After shining for England at Euro 2024, Guehi’s performances at club level have also taken a hit.

“I’d say quite tough not having a pre-season, not having much of a break and going straight back into it,” Guehi told talkSPORT when asked about the start to the season. “I kind of handled it as best as I could. The Euros was such an amazing experience but just not quite getting there.”

Guehi was understood to be open to joining Newcastle in the summer but was keen to stress his commitment to Palace when speaking in public.

“Since then I’ve just tried to get my head down, tried to get to work [amid Newcastle transfer rumours],” he added. “It’s been a tough start for us at Palace, but I think everyone’s pulling in the right direction to try and get ourselves back to where we want to be.”

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Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell attempted to negotiate a deal with Palace for Guehi over the summer but was unable to strike a deal with Palace chairman Steve Parish.

Reflecting on the summer transfer window, Mitchell said: “Every single player we looked at, Ed wanted and wanted to explore, wanted to try and sign or wanted to have an extensive conversation.

“There was no player that got to a certain level of discussion where you're talking about connection with the club that currently owns that player's registration and real intent to try and sign that player, that he wasn't part of the deciding and saying, ‘that's the guy I want’.”

In the summer that ‘guy’ was Guehi. Now Newcastle face a decision whether to test Palace’s resolve once again in January.

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