Roy Hodgson slams Liverpool and Crystal Palace after Marc Guehi transfer failure - 'He's the loser'

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Marc Guehi shakes hands with Roy Hodgson after the final whistle of the Premier League match between Fulham FC and Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on May 20, 2023(Image: Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Former Liverpool and Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson says he has sympathy for Marc Guehi and believes the England international's failed transfer to Anfield should have been resolved much sooner than deadline day.

Guehi was on the cusp of a deadline-day move to the Premier League champions after undertaking a medical in London but was forced to remain at Selhurst Park after a dramatic turn of events.

Palace had earmarked Brighton's Julio Igor as Guehi's successor but the loan move of the centre-back fell through when West Ham United made a late approach and Eagles boss Oliver Glasner threatened to leave the club if the skipper was sold without a replacement on board on Monday.



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That meant Palace chairman Steve Parish was forced to curtail the impending £35m deal and Guehi's dream move was dashed, with subsequent reports emerging from south London that the Three Lions' international is unhappy with how the events unfolded.

Hodgson, who endured a miserable six-month spell at Anfield 15 years ago, was Palace boss on two separate occasions between 2017 and 2024, and he says he feels sorry for Guehi, whose hopes of moving to the champions were denied through no fault of his own on Monday evening.

“I worked with him for a year-and-a-half," Hodgson told talkSPORT.

That's been shown quite clearly during this long, drawn-out saga.

“He's the person I feel really sorry for because if right at the beginning it had been made clear his task ahead would be to stay at Crystal Palace and there'd be no question he'd be leaving in the transfer window, then I'm sure he would have got his head around that.

“But having been led to believe sooner or later a deal would be done between the clubs, I guess that his head for the last period of time has been that he was going to move.

He's the loser in the situation.

“Palace should be the winner because he's such a good player and to have a player, captain and leader of that calibre should be advantageous.

“But it remains to be seen how upset he may have been by what's happened during these past few hours.

“I think the transfer situation could have been sorted out much quicker between both clubs.”

Liverpool may return for Guehi in January at a further reduced price but with the 25-year-old a free agent at the end of the season, a move next year is likely to appeal for Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes.

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Hodgson, though, has not ruled out a new deal at Selhurst Park for Guehi, adding: "Anything is possible.

"We did that (contract renewal) for years with Wilfried Zaha.