Roy Hodgson has had his say on the Marc Guehi transfer saga and it is fair to say he is less than impressed with the clubs he used to manage.
Marc Guehi’s proposed move to Liverpool sensationally fell through in the final hours of transfer deadline day, leaving the FA Cup-winning defender stranded at Crystal Palace. Roy Hodgson has given his assessment of the situation and has taken aim at both clubs.
Guehi looked set to seal a dream switch to Anfield after completing a medical in London on September 1 and was claimed to have already filmed a farewell message for Palace supporters. However, the Eagles pulled the plug after their move for a replacement collapsed, in one of the most dramatic twists of the summer.
Oliver Glasner’s side had targeted Brighton defender Julio Igor on loan, only for West Ham to hijack the deal at the last moment. With Glasner warning he would resign if his captain was sold without cover, Palace chairman Steve Parish intervened to halt Guehi’s exit.
Guehi has been left deeply frustrated and let down by the handling of negotiations and the mixed messages he received throughout the summer. Hodgson, his former manager at Crystal Palace, was quick to criticise both clubs. Speaking on talkSPORT, he expressed sympathy for the 25-year-old.
He’s [Guehi] the person I feel really sorry for,” Hodgson said. “Because if right at the beginning it had been made clear his task ahead would be to stay at Crystal Palace and there’d be no question he’d be leaving in the transfer window, then I’m sure he would have got his head around that.”
“But having been led to believe sooner or later a deal would be done between the clubs, I guess that his head for the last period of time has been he was going to move. He’s the loser in the situation.”
Hodgson has no doubts about Guehi’s quality, but he believes there is one reason why holding onto the defender might cause some issues.
“I think the transfer situation could have been sorted out much quicker between both clubs,” he added. “Palace should be the winner because he’s such a good player and to have a player, captain and leader of that calibre should be advantageous. But it remains to be seen how upset he may have been by what’s happened during these past few hours.”
Hodgson described Guehi as “an outstanding individual, not just an outstanding footballer,” and lamented that his future had been left dangling until the final day of the window.
From Liverpool’s perspective, the failure to land Guehi leaves Arne Slot with one fewer defender than hoped. The Reds had earmarked the Palace skipper as the ideal solution to add experience and Premier League know-how to their backline following the departure of Jarell Quansah. However, the Reds must now soldier on until January with their existing options.
Palace, meanwhile, may have won the battle to keep hold of their captain in the short term, but could lose out financially. Guehi would likely have fetched in the region of £35 million, but is now set to leave for free when his contract expires next summer.
This places the power in the player’s hands and could work in Liverpool’s favour. If Guehi still wants to leave Palace in January, Liverpool could attempt to sign him on a pre-contract agreement. Therefore, there remains a possibility that the England international will call Anfield his home next season.
