‘Do better’ - Marc Guehi breaks silence on drastic U-turn after Newcastle United deal fell through
Newcastle United made Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi their No.1 target in the summer transfer window
Marc Guehi has admitted he must perform better amid a drastic downturn in form since snubbing Newcastle United interest.
It is no secret that the Magpies tried desperately to sign the Crystal Palace defender over the summer. Eddie Howe and the recruitment setup identified a centre-back as a key area to improve, with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles suffering long-term injuries.
Lloyd Kelly, also capable of playing left-back, arrived on a free transfer but Newcastle wanted a marquee addition to partner Botman long term. However, the Magpies met fierce resistance from Palace when trying to sign Guehi.
Eagles chairman Steve Parish claimed Newcastle would need “superstar money” to prise the defender from Selhurst Park. Palace sold Joachim Andersen and also lost new signing Chadi Riad to injury - creating a further stumbling block for United.
NewcastleWorld understands Toon chiefs bid as high as £70million for Guehi but Palace maintained their hardball stance. Ultimately, no major arrivals came to St James’ Park and fans were left to feel frustrated by the summer window.
But since then, Newcastle’s decision not to cave into Palace’s demands has proven shrewd. The Eagles are yet to win a Premier League game from their four attempts this season, with Guehi looking a shadow of the player England enjoyed at Euro 2024.
He has now conceded that his performances must improve following Palace’s 2-1 cup win over Queens Park Rangers. Guehi said: "A bit of concentration for us, especially myself," he said. "I think I can do a lot better. I need to do a lot better in helping the team and doing my job a little bit better...I like to put a lot of pressure on myself so I need to do better."