Newcastle United edge towards statement £60m deal as long-running saga ‘close’ to conclusion

Newcastle United are believed to be in pole position to sign England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace for a significant figure that is well in excess of £60m, according to new reports from The Telegraph.

Newcastle’s pursuit of Guehi has proven to be one of the longest-running transfer sagas in the Premier League this summer and it is widely reported that the Magpies have already had three separate bids turned down for the centre back in this window.

Guehi has just two seasons remaining on his deal at Selhurst Park and is understood to be reluctant to sign an extension at this stage. However, he remains a highly valued asset by the club and chairman Steve Parish has already told TalkSport that only a ‘superstar fee’ would see him leave South London this summer.

Talks between Newcastle and Palace have dragged on for several months and recent headlines regarding Joachim Andersen’s sale to Fulham have only shed further doubts surrounding Guehi’s potential move to the North East, with Parish telling BBC Sport earlier in the month:  "I can’t imagine a situation where we would lose both of our centre-halves."

This in turn led to speculation that Newcastle would divert their attention elsewhere, with both Axel Disasi from Chelsea and Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen both entering the fray as potential options, via reports from Sky Sports.

However, BBC Sport understands that is part of Newcastle’s negotiating tactic and Telegraph Sport understand that discussions between Palace and the Magpies have progressed well in recent days.

The signing would be a huge coup for Newcastle given how high Guehi’s stock has risen following an excellent European Championship campaign. 

Guehi has been regarded as one of the best performing centre backs in the Premier League for a few seasons and at 24-years of age still could have a number of his best years ahead of him.

He is regarded as a leader in the Palace dressing room and is renowned for his incredible pace, defensive intelligence and being comfortable playing the ball out from the back, making him potentially a useful partner for Fabian Schar during Sven Botman’s long-term absence with injury.

The Telegraph adds that ‘crucially, Guehi is said to be very keen on the move and has urged his representatives to make the deal happen.

‘Until the contracts are signed there is always a risk of a rival bid coming in but as things stand, it looks like Guehi will be swapping south east London for the north east of England.’