Barcelona and Real Madrid have competed for a number of signings in the past, and in 2026, they could do so again with Marc Guehi, who is quickly emerging as one of the players to watch next summer.
Guehi, who almost joined Liverpool during the summer transfer window, is on course to leave Crystal Palace when his contract expires, and this has alerted a number of clubs to his situation, given that he would be a major market opportunity.
Barcelona and Real Madrid will both be in the market next summer for a new centre-back, and understandably, they are both looking at Guehi. However, it may now appear that the England international favours one move over the other.
According to Florian Plettenburg, Barcelona – alongside Liverpool – have a concrete interest in signing Guehi next summer, but above all, the player is prepared to delay any decision on his future until it is decided whether Real Madrid make a move for him.
In recent years, Real Madrid have started to build an English contingent at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold having arrived in 2023 and 2025 respectively – and next summer, Guehi could be the latest addition. They, alongside Barcelona and Bayern Munich, would have a significant advantage in the race to sign him, given that they can open pre-contract talks from January, where Liverpool cannot.
Guehi is not currently Real Madrid’s first choice
As things stand, Real Madrid are still believed to be prioritising the signing of Ibrahima Konate, who is another player that is projected to be a free agent next summer. However, there are chances for him to sign a new contract at Liverpool, after which Los Blancos could pivot to Guehi – who would be a more than good enough alternative.
For now, it remains to be seen how Real Madrid approach the situation with Konate and Guehi, but given that at least one of Antonio Rudiger or David Alaba is set to leave next summer, it is almost certain that a new central defender arrives in their place.
/https%3A%2F%2Fsportsmole-media-prod.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F10%2Fmarc-guehi-5-68e58f9646bc1405055979.jpg?w=75&resize=75,75&ssl=1 "Palace stance on Guehi ‘revealed’ as ‘big clubs queue up’")
