“JUST IN”- Newcastle told to pay ‘superstar money’ after £55m bid leaves club ‘nowhere near’ selling defender
Crystal Palace chairman and co-owner Steve Parish has made it clear to Newcastle United that if they want to secure the services of Marc Guehi, they will have to pay a premium price, referring to it as “superstar money.”
Newcastle has turned its attention to the England international Guehi as a priority signing, following their recent acquisitions of Lewis Hall from Chelsea, Lloyd Kelly from Bournemouth, John Ruddy from Birmingham City, Odysseas Vlachodimos from Nottingham Forest, and William Osula from Sheffield United.
With the departure of Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman, Eddie Howe finds himself in a precarious situation regarding center-back options as he prepares for the 2024/25 season. Even with the addition of Kelly, the Magpies are still short on central defenders, making the pursuit of Guehi all the more urgent. Howe is keen to bolster his defense by bringing in a new center-back to partner with either Dan Burn or Fabian Schar in the starting lineup.
Guehi’s potential move to St James’ Park would be a significant boost for Newcastle but a substantial blow for Crystal Palace. The defender was a standout performer for the Eagles last season and played a key role for England during the European Championship, starting all but one match and forming a solid partnership with John Stones.
Negotiations between Newcastle and Crystal Palace are ongoing, with Palace standing firm on their £60 million valuation of Guehi, a price that reflects his importance to the team and the fact that it’s three times what they paid to bring him from Chelsea in 2021. Newcastle reportedly submitted a third offer for the 24-year-old, believed to be in the region of £55 million.
While Parish didn’t entirely rule out Guehi’s departure to Newcastle, he underscored his intention to retain the former Chelsea player. “No one has met our valuation yet,” Parish remarked. “If you want a superstar player, you need to pay superstar money. Marc is a player we value highly. If he stays, it will make us a stronger team.”
Parish also highlighted that while every player’s wishes are considered, the situation has not yet reached a point where a decision must be made. “We’ll address the situation when we need to. For now, we’re in a good place. Marc is loyal to Crystal Palace, and although he’s ambitious and wants to advance his career, he hasn’t pressured the club.”
The sale of Guehi would follow the departure of another young talent from last season, Michael Olise, who joined Bayern Munich earlier in the summer. Alongside Guehi, players like Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze are also attracting significant interest from other clubs, emphasizing the importance for Palace to maintain a balanced approach to player recruitment and retention.
Parish emphasized the challenges of managing the squad’s evolution, noting the need to ensure that replacements are lined up and that the team isn’t left vulnerable when players leave. “It’s a continuous, demanding process. We’re constantly working to improve, but we must manage the cycle of players carefully. We can’t afford to let too many go at once without proper planning,” Parish added.
