Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is reportedly prepared to hold out for a move to either Barcelona or Real Madrid in the summer of 2026.
Guehi has established himself as a top Premier League centre-back in his 154 appearances as a Palace player following his arrival from Chelsea in 2021.
The Palace skipper has started all 43 of his competitive matches this season, including all five of the club’s FA Cup games, to help the club set up a final clash against Manchester City.
Guehi is set to captain the side at Wembley on Saturday afternoon, but there is a possibility that it will be one of his final matches as a Palace player.
The England international is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract, meaning Palace may have to entertain offers this summer to avoid losing him on a free transfer next summer.
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Guehi eyeing dream La Liga move
Guehi has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs ahead of the summer window, including his former employers, Chelsea.
Newcastle United could renew their interest after failing with multiple bids last summer, while Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be among Guehi’s potential suitors.
According to The Sun, Newcastle are the current favourites to secure Guehi’s future, although the defender could throw a spanner in the works by holding out for a move to Spain.
La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid have emerged as surprise contenders, having kept tabs on the player’s progress at Selhurst Park.
The report suggests that Guehi could run down his contract to join either Barcelona or Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2026.
Guehi appears to have boosted his chances of securing a dream move to one of the Clasico rivals by renewing his Ivorian passport.
As a result, he would be effectively classified as a Spanish national due to the Cotonou agreement, which would prevent him from taking up one of the three non-EU spots in the matchday squads if he were to move on a British passport due to post-Brexit restrictions.
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Do Barcelona or Real Madrid need Guehi?
Guehi’s hopes of a move to Barcelona may be dampened by any potential business this summer, with the Blaugrana likely to make an effort to sign a centre-back if Andreas Christensen or Ronald Araujo depart.
With that said, the Catalan giants could view Guehi as a replacement for starting centre-back Inigo Martinez, who will turn 35 next year and is out of contract at the end of the 2025-26 season.
As for Real Madrid, they are on the brink of bolstering their defensive options with the addition of Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen.
However, they may still need to recruit a new central defender next summer, with Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba both out of contract in 2026.
As it stands, Guehi would be eligible to speak to overseas clubs about a pre-contract agreement from the start of next year.
