Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner was decidedly coy about the future of centre-back Marc Guehi before his side’s Europa Conference League Qualifier against Fredrikstad on Thursday.
The Eagles could lose their skipper before next week’s transfer deadline amid interest from Liverpool.
Despite already saying goodbye to their talesman Eberechi Eze, Palace chairman Steve Parish is resigned to the fact that he may be left with little choice but to sell Guehi if he receives the right offer.
Glasner however is of a very different view, and has even joked that he may ‘need to try on his boots’ if his skipper is sold to Merseyside.
The Austrian was asked about the future of the 25-year-old once again on Thursday evening, to which he responded: ‘It’s very important [he’s playing], I’m speaking to Marc every day and it was clear he would play this game in Norway and then let’s see what will come.
‘But I know I can rely on Marc and count on him.’
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has been linked with a move to Premier League champions Liverpool this summer
Oliver Glasner provided an update on the 25-year-old’s future on Thursday evening
Guehi played a crucial part as Palace secured their place in this year’s Conference League with a 0-0 draw away at Fredrikstad, winning 1-0 on aggregate.
It was a far from pretty affair, with Fredrikstad shutting up shop and allowing Palace – who held a one-goal advantage from the two-legged tie – to dominate 60 per cent of possession on the artificial surface of the Nye Fredrikstad Stadium.
Glasner was full of praise for his team post-match, revealing that they’ve now achieved their two goals for the season – reaching the group stage of the European competition and winning the Community Shield.
‘[Fredrikstad] are not easy to play,’ he said.
‘We had to accept it and the players did well and defended the box excellently. We know we have to and can play better in possession.’
After what has been a noticeably quiet summer in terms of incomings at Selhurst Park – only Borna Sosa and Walter Benitez have so far come through the door – Palace are now working on making additions to their squad before next week’s deadline.
Villareal winger Yeremy Pino is currently weighing up a move to south London in a transfer which would cost around £26m.
The talented attacker is viewed as a possible replacement for Eberechi Eze, who has been so crucial to Palace’s success in recent years.
The Eagles have meanwhile also enquired about the possibility of signing Manuel Akanji from Manchester City.
The Eagles sealed their place in this year’s Europa Conference League on Thursday, beating Fredrikstad 1-0 on aggregate
Their maiden European campaign will however be without Eberechi Eze, who has moved on to Arsenal
City are thought to want in the region of £15m for the Swiss international, who is seemingly no longer in manager Pep Guardiola’s plans and has not featured in either of their opening Premier League fixtures.
The 30-year-old was left out of the matchday squad entirely as his side slumped to a 2-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur after being an unused substitute at Wolves a week earlier.
Akanji, who made the move to Manchester in 2022 from Borussia Dortmund, is however also attracting interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray.