Replacing Marc Guehi was always going to be a tough task for the transfer chiefs at Crystal Palace. The English defender was a stalwart during his four-and-a-half years at Selhurst Park.
Captaincy has somewhat faded in the Premier League over the years, with star players often given the armband instead of proper leaders. That wasn’t the case for Guehi during his time captaining the Eagles, as he embodied the club’s devoted fanbase’s passion.
Guehi’s time at Palace ended in January when he moved to Manchester City in a £20m deal. The onus is on the higher-ups to find a suitable replacement for the 25-year-old.
Palace dealt setback in bid to replace Guehi
Several highly-rated centre-backs have been linked with Palace before and after Guehi’s departure. The ideal heir to the England international will have been Sporting CP’s Ousmane Diomande.
The 22-year-old possesses a similar profile to the Englishman, physically dominant, pacey and an excellent carrier of the ball. He has been on the radar of top European clubs in recent years.
The Eagles were eyeing the Ivorian when speculation grew over Guehi’s future throughout last year. Their hopes of signing him this summer have all but ended.
Diomande signed a new long-term deal with Sporting, which expires in 2030. According to Sky Sports‘ James Savundra, his new deal includes an €80m (£70m) release clause, a fee just not feasible for Steve Parish’s board.
That means Palace will have to look elsewhere, but they are reportedly prioritising a replacement for Guehi. There are other options on the club’s shortlist that won’t be as expensive as the Ivorian.
The alternatives
Palace were busy during the January transfer window, breaking the club’s transfer record twice. Brennan Johnson arrived from Tottenham Hotspur for £35m, and Jorgen Strand Larsen joined in a £48m deal.
The window closed with the Eagles having failed to replace Guehi, a frustrating outcome given his importance to Glasner. The recruitment staff did try to show intent to address the situation by making late enquiries for three defenders.
Savundra reports that Palace sounded out Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez, Toulouse’s Charlie Cresswell and Lyon’s Ruben Kluivert. A concrete move wasn’t made for either of the trio and but could be revisited when the window re-opens in the summer.
| Player: | Joel Ordonez | Charlie Cresswell | Ruben Kluivert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearances (League): | 19 | 23 | 11 |
| Goals: | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Assists: | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Clean sheets: | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Interceptions: | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Tackles per game: | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Ground duels won: | 1.5 (33%) | 1.5 (44%) | 1.5 (61%) |
| Aerial duels won: | 2.3 (62%) | 5.0 (65%) | 1.4 (60%) |
Of those three, the most suitable Guehi replacement is probably Ordonez, given his rave reviews in recent years. Liverpool were reportedly close to signing the Ecuadorian in a £43m deal last month (per SunSport) but opted for Rennes’ Jeremy Jacquet instead.
