Barcelona to make Marc Guehi move? Spanish champions set to rival Liverpool for Crystal Palace captain with defender able to sign pre-contract with Blaugrana in January

With Guehi eligible to strike a pre-contract agreement in the New Year, the Catalan giants see a golden opportunity to lure one of the Premier League’s standout defenders without paying a transfer fee. Barcelona’s interest instantly throws a spanner in Liverpool’s carefully laid plans, after the Reds had agreed personal terms with Guehi in the summer before their move fell apart at the eleventh hour.

The Merseysiders were left floored when Palace chairman Steve Parish pulled the plug on Guehi’s £35 million move late in the window, citing the lack of a replacement. Guehi, for his part, made it clear he was ready to join Anfield immediately, but once denied, his stance hardened: he will now run down his deal and leave on a free. That revelation has sparked a feeding frenzy across Europe. What looked like Liverpool’s second chance at a straight run on their man has now descended into a brutal multi-club tug-of-war, with Palace set to watch their most valuable asset walk out for nothing.

Hansi Flick’s Barcelona are hardly short of centre-back options, but stability at the back has been an elusive dream. Andreas Christensen’s contract expires next summer, while Jules Kounde has been forced into right-back duty more often than he’d like. Ronald Araujo, once viewed as the cornerstone of the back line, has struggled to maintain form and fitness for nearly two seasons. That leaves teenage prodigy Pau Cubarsi as the only guaranteed long-term solution. Guehi, with his maturity, leadership and proven Premier League pedigree, would offer Barcelona both reliability and experience as they try to rebuild a title-winning defence.

The plot thickens further with reports that Real Madrid are also tracking Guehi. As if a Clasico tug-of-war wasn’t dramatic enough, Europe’s other heavyweights are muscling in. Bayern Munich have identified Guehi as a solution to their shaky back line. Meanwhile, Inter Milan and Juventus are both ready to pitch the glamour of Serie A and the lure of being a marquee foreign signing.

For Guehi, the message is simple: his future lies far away from Selhurst Park. Whereas, for Europe’s elite, the next five months are a race to convince him which badge he should wear next. Liverpool’s once-clear path has been blocked by the powerhouses of Spain, Germany and Italy. When the clock strikes January, Guehi will become one of the most sought-after free agents in Europe, and Barcelona have just lit the fuse of a transfer war.