'It wasn't the right time' - Steve Parish lifts lid on how Crystal Palace kept Marc Guehi out of Liverpool's clutches in summer transfer saga

Palace look set to miss out on receiving a transfer fee for Guehi, unless a cut-price deal is agreed in January. The 25-year-old is out of contract next summer, meaning he can negotiate a free transfer to another club when the transfer window opens in two months’ time.

Eagles manager Oliver Glasner confirmed earlier this month that Guehi will not sign a new contract with the club, saying: "I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year. The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, 'no, I want to make something different'. And that's normal. And for us, it's how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together."

However, Palace chief Parish has since opened up about the club’s decision to block Guehi’s move to Liverpool, saying keeping hold of their captain was much more important than recouping a significant transfer fee in the summer.

In an interview with the Men in Blazers podcast, Parish said it was imperative Palace retained their identity by keeping hold of Guehi, having lost key stars such as Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze in recent seasons.

"We did quite an analytical look at Marc's worth and places in the league," Parish said. "What is the upside and what is the downside? It was a marginal call. Marc was great about it. They [Liverpool] made an offer and they are a massive club. He was interested in going but was fine about staying if that was the decision. It was a difficult one but definitely the right one.

"One thing Oliver said, which says a lot about staying humble, is the reality of this football club is what we need to deal with day to day. It is something I learnt very early on. You can take absolutely nothing for granted. We needed to keep Marc because the difference between having a stellar season and a relegation-threatening season is probably winning five games.

"The margins are so tight. Yes. Michael [Olise] is gone, Ebs [Eberechi Eze] is gone and Wilfried [Zaha] went too but there is a limit before you break the fabric of the team. We felt it was a significant risk. With all the calculations, we decided it wasn't the right time."

Guehi and Wharton have been in fine form in 2025-26 as Palace look to add more silverware to their recent FA Cup and Community Shield successes. Glasner’s side set up a mouth-watering clash with Premier League leaders Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup by beating Liverpool 3-0 on Wednesday evening.

The south Londoners are also viewed as one of the favourites to lift this season’s Conference League, winning their opening fixture against Dynamo Kyiv before suffering a surprise 1-0 loss at the hands of Cypriot outfit AEK Larnaca last Thursday.

Palace return to action this weekend when they host in-form Brentford on Saturday, before entertaining Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League next Thursday.

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