The transfer market for central defenders is already on the move before the turn of the year, with FC Bayern now facing strong competition from Spain in the race for a top English star.
According to transfer insider Ekrem Konur, FC Barcelona are planning to sign a pre-contract with Marc Guehi in January. The Crystal Palace captain is one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe – and is also on the radar of numerous other top clubs. In addition to the German record champions, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Inter Milan, Juventus Turin and Atlético Madrid are all vying for the 25-year-old.
In the past, there have been repeated reports of concrete interest from FC Bayern. According to a report in the German newspaper tz , none other than Harry Kane himself tried to convince his national team colleague of the project in Munich. The striker reportedly sought a personal meeting with Guehi to show him the prospects at FCB. According to information from Sky, sporting director Max Eberl also met with the player.
Munich plan B or increased competition?
The centre-back, whose contract expires in the summer of 2026, was recently mentioned in a possible trio with Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano. The envisaged contract extension with Upamecano is likely to take place soon, but that by no means means means the end of the search for defensive reinforcements. In Munich, a competition triangle with Guehi has not been ruled out – on the contrary, this scenario is certainly being discussed internally. First, however, Minjae Kim would probably have to leave Munich.
Guehi had previously been linked with a move to Liverpool after a planned transfer in the summer of 2025 fell through. However, renowned reporter David Ornstein had dismissed these rumours. According to his assessment, a decision had not yet been made: „Guehi wants to listen to all interested parties,“ he said. The race therefore remains open, even if Barça are now apparently pushing the pace.
While the Catalans want to get down to business in January, FC Bayern are likely to continue to monitor how the situation develops. In view of the Catalans‘ tight financial situation, a Barça transfer seems difficult to imagine, despite the transfer fee that will not be paid in the summer. After all, transfer fees of this size are usually accompanied by a substantial hand money – and Guehi’s salary is also likely to be in the upper range.