With Liverpool and Manchester United rumored to be among Marc Guehi’s numerous admirers, Crystal Palace will be preparing to lose one of their most valuable assets this summer.
According to the Telegraph, the club is putting together a shortlist of potential successors for the centre-back, who has previously garnered interest from Arsenal and Tottenham.
Guehi has been vital for Palace since joining from Chelsea for £18 million in 2021, making 108 games and earning an England international cap in the process.
With two years remaining on his contract, it is expected that his transfer will fetch a higher price than the club record £50 million sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United in 2019.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of five centre-backs who might step in to replace Guehi if he leaves in the off-season.
Ronnie Edwards
Dougie Freedman, Palace’s sporting director, has long admired highly-rated Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards, and has attempted to recruit the 20-year-old twice.
Palace refused to pay the club’s £15 million valuation in 2022, and a January move fell through when Peterborough demanded £10 million.
A sell-on clause in Edwards’ contract mandates Peterborough to pay his former club Barnet 50% of any amount received for the player, implying they are attempting to generate a particularly large figure.
As Edwards enters the final year of his contract this summer, Freedman is poised to make another bid for the England under-20 international, as Peterborough faces increased pressure to sell.
Perr Schuurs.
Last summer, Crystal Palace considered signing Torino centre-back Perr Schuurs, amid similar reports linking Guehi to other clubs.
The 24-year-old Dutchman, who joined Torino from Ajax the previous summer, had a great debut season in Italy, making 30 games and being valued at £34 million.
Unfortunately, Schuurs was unable to build on his debut season this season after suffering an ACL injury against Inter Milan in October, which sidelined him for six months.
It remains to be seen whether Palace still sees Schuurs as an acceptable substitute for Guehi, or if Torino will stick with their original asking price.
Cristobal Mosquera
Cristhian Mosquera, a 19-year-old centre-back from Valencia, is another talent Palace sees as a potential long-term replacement for Guehi.
The teenager has impressed in his debut season in Spain, earning 25 league matches and establishing himself as an important member of the first squad.
Palace made an approach for the Spaniard in January, but the deal never materialized.
Mosquera signed a contract extension with Valencia last week, keeping him there until the summer of 2026, thus Palace will have to pay a greater amount to get his services.
Trevoh Chalobah
Crystal Palace may return to Chelsea to find a successor for Guehi, as it was claimed in January that they were among a host of Premier League clubs interested in signing Trevoh Chalobah.
The 24-year-old centre-back has been sidelined for the majority of the season due to a reoccurring hamstring injury, and he only made his Premier League debut in February.
Despite being used infrequently by Pochettino since his return, it is thought that Chalobah prefers to stay at Chelsea and compete for a place.
However, it is thought that Chelsea may consider offers for the defender this summer as they seek to generate finances.
Tuta from Eintracht Frankfurt might replace Marc Guehi and reunite him with Palace’s new manager Oliver Glasner.
While not openly linked with Palace, the 24-year-old Brazilian played prominently under Glasner during his stay in Frankfurt, including starting in their Europa League final triumph over Rangers.
Tuta has been a staple in Frankfurt’s defence since then, and he fits the profile of the man Palace is looking for: a versatile centre-back who can play in a back three.
It is unclear how active Glasner will be in recruitment, but he may consider his former player as a possible choice if given a say in hiring.
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