Crystal Palace Chairman on Blocking Guehi’s Move to Liverpool: A Difficult But Correct Decision

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish recently shared new insights on the future of his team’s center-back Marc Guehi. He admitted the club could not justify selling the center-back and believed that with only a few months left on Guehi’s contract, the player himself holds full control over his future.

In an interview with Camel Live, he said: “We conducted detailed data analysis to assess Marc Guehi’s value in the Premier League, as well as the impact on intangible factors such as the team’s mentality and belief system. This is essentially a marginal decision, but Marc himself has acted very professionally.”

“Liverpool did make an offer, and this top club is obviously attractive to him. But no matter what final decision we made, he accepted it calmly. Now the choice is entirely in his hands, and he can decide his destination independently. Although this was a difficult decision, it is undoubtedly the right one.”

He added: “We had to keep Marc because whether we have a brilliant season or end up in a relegation battle may depend on the results of five key games. The gap between winning and losing in the Premier League is extremely small. Remember, we coped with Michael (Olise) leaving, remained stable after Eberechi (Eze)’s transfer, and didn’t collapse when Wilfried (Zaha) left—but there is a limit to how much the squad can withstand.”

The decision to retain Guehi has paid off immediately: Crystal Palace has made an impressive start to the season, currently sitting 10th in the Premier League, and advanced to the EFL Cup quarter-finals after a 3-0 away win over Liverpool at Anfield.