Oliver Glasner has revealed that Crystal Palace had huge bids for a Marc Guehi replacement rejected on Deadline Day, capping off a chaotic and ultimately frustrating January transfer window for the South London club.
Despite the Eagles’ hierarchy sanctioning significant expenditure in the final hours of the window, Glasner confirmed that their attempts to recruit a new center-back were rebuffed by clubs unwilling to sell their prized assets so close to the 7:00 PM deadline.
Glasner reveals Crystal Palace deadline day drama
The Austrian manager, who has often cut a frustrated figure regarding the club’s recruitment strategy, admitted that while the intent was there, the timing proved fatal.
Glasner said (quotes via Standard)
“I’ve learned to accept situations. My wish of course, and everyone at the club, would have been that JP [Mateta] gets what he wants and we get Jorgen [Strand Larsen] and Dwight McNeil into the building and Marc Guehi’s replacement into the building.
“This is what everybody was working on until the final seconds. At the end of it the club tried everything with huge offers and huge bids for a Marc Guehi replacement, but clubs said they don’t sell on Deadline Day.
“Credit to the club that they without getting any money for JP spent a big fee on Strand Larsen.
“On the other side, McNeil was the last one we thought we could finalise but in the last minutes the terms of the deal changed again and the deal failed. I expected him and planned for him in the next day’s training.”
Glasner was not happy at Crystal Palace selling Marc Guéhi mid-season
The primary source of Glasner’s discontent stems from the mid-season departure of club captain Marc Guehi, who joined Manchester City in a deal worth an initial £20 million.
The move left a gaping hole in a defense that had already been weakened by the summer sale of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal.
Glasner previously described the sale of his captain just 24 hours before a Premier League fixture as ‘being abandoned’, arguing that the squad lacked the necessary depth to compete at the highest level.
The failure to secure a direct replacement on Deadline Day, despite interest in Lyon’s Ruben Kluivert and Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez, leaves Palace light at the back for the remainder of the campaign.
Glasner set to leave the club at the end of the season
The tension over transfer policy has ultimately led to a definitive break. Glasner has confirmed he will leave Selhurst Park this summer, seeking a ‘new challenge’ once his contract expires.
Despite leading Palace to a historic FA Cup triumph in 2025, the breakdown in alignment between the manager and the board over the timing of player sales and arrivals has made his exit inevitable.
Manchester United have been among clubs interested in Glasner, but given Michael Carrick’s impeccable start as caretaker manager, the club could end up sticking with the club legend.