利物浦 thought they had Guéhi secured for £47 million ($64m), even pushing paperwork through the 英超聯賽 late on deadline day. But at the last moment, Parish walked away from the deal.
Parish had already sanctioned the club-record £67.5m ($91.57m) sale of Eberechi Eze to 兵工廠, and Glasner admitted the sheer intensity of the window drained both men. He ultimately prioritised his manager’s concerns over short-term profit, ensuring Palace’s squad wasn’t left short ahead of a historic European campaign.
Speaking to reporters, Glasner said, “I think it’s the last time I want to talk about it. I never threatened to leave the club. Never. I didn’t have to threaten anybody. There were no bad tensions between the chairman and myself. It was really just a discussion about sports, and he decided against the money and for the sporting perspective of 水晶宮. Big credit to the chairman.”
He added: “At the end of many discussions, it was the chairman who asked me: ‘Oliver, do you think we can manage the season when we sell Marc?’ I said: ‘Honestly, we can’t manage it in the short-term. If you want this scenario for Crystal Palace and you are fine with it, sell Marc. If you don’t want to have this, then we have to keep him. And then he decided we would keep him.”
Reports suggested Guehi was unsettled by the failed move and had even considered giving up the armband. Glasner shot those stories down.
“Marc handled it very well,” he said. “We talked on deadline day and the day after, when he was in the 英格蘭 camp. He was always 100 per cent focused. It was written that he would step back as captain, that’s not true.
“He will be our captain as long as he’s here because he’s such a great player and personality. Marc is the role model in how you deal with such a situation. He always said Crystal Palace first, not Marc Guéhi first. He deserves all the credit and support from everyone in the club and our fans, who always honour this commitment.”
Palace return to Premier League duty this weekend when they host 桑德蘭 at Selhurst Park. With Guehi still in red and blue, and Parish and Glasner presenting a 團結的 front, Palace head into Saturday’s clash determined to prove that the turbulence of the window has only strengthened their resolve.
