Glasner: I'll resign if Crystal Palace sell Guehi? Nonsense!

  /  MTWANG

Oliver Glasner has reiterated that he did not threaten to leave Crystal Palace if Marc Guehi was sold to Liverpool.

The Reds saw a deal for the centre-back collapse at the 11th hour of summer transfer deadline day. Liverpool agreed a £35 million fee with Palace and Guehi underwent a medical. But the FA Cup holders’ failure to sign a suitable replacement meant they completed a late U-turn despite the England international’s Selhurst Park contract expiring next summer.

There were suggestions that Glasner told chairman Steve Parish he would depart the Palace hot seat if Guehi left. The Eagles head coach is also in the final year of his deal and after a 2-1 loss to Manchester United last weekend, he bemoaned the club’s lack of investment in the squad during the summer.

Speaking ahead of his side’s clash against Burnley on Wednesday, Glasner said: “I know the team, know what they are capable of and not what they're capable of. Players are leaving for AFCON and I have to judge all the situations then I'm talking to the chairman and the board and giving them my advice and it was the same with Marc Guehi.

“Everyone said I threatened to step back if we sold Marc Guehi... completely wrong. I said if we don't have the right replacement, we could struggle. If you are fine with this for Crystal Palace then sell him. If you don't want the situation, you have to keep him and here is the same. I just give my advice but it's nothing to do with they have to buy players for Oliver Glasner to sign a new contract. It's just if we want to progress.”

Liverpool retain an interest in Guehi but it remains to be seen whether they will make a renewed move when the January transfer window opens. The Reds are currently short in central defence and have had their woes so far this campaign. The Premier League champions’ title defence already appears over as they trail leaders Arsenal by nine points. Liverpool have conceded 20 goals in their opening 13 fixtures.

Guehi’s contractual status has seemingly alerted several clubs across Europe, with the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan all said to be keen to sign him on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

‘We don't guess about these things’

The 25-year-old has already informed Palace that he will not be signing a new deal in south London. Palace supremo Palace said on this decision to keep Guehi in October: “It's a difficult decision. It's as simple as that these things are never black and white. I decided in the end that, based on the advice that I got and with what I think, that we would have a better season if we kept Marc.

“We don't guess about these things. If you look at it rationally, if you look at what is worth the place in the Premier League, the fact that we're in the [Europa] Conference League for the first time in our history, this is a fairly unusual set of circumstances in which to keep a player.

“If we were fighting between the difference of 10th and 14th, if that was going to be the difference between keeping Marc and letting Marc go, then probably we would have said right, 'We should take the money.'

Related: Liverpool Crystal Palace Oliver Glasner Guehi
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