The battle for Marc Guéhi’s signature next summer is evolving into a three-way contest, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich all in the frame as the England international approaches a free transfer. Insiders say one variable stands above the rest: Dayot Upamecano’s contract situation at Bayern.

Bayern have held two meetings with Guéhi’s representatives, per Fabrizio Romano, and the club’s appetite will reportedly hinge on whether a central defender vacancy appears. The story, in short, is straightforward. If Upamecano extends his stay the prospect of a Bayern approach diminishes; should a centre back slot open up, Guéhi would be elevated to the status of “serious target”.

Upamecano himself is moving toward the end of his deal but has not ruled out a new contract. The 27-year-old’s salary demands are said to be a sticking point while all options remain open.

Guéhi has tried to insulate himself from the noise. According to reports he has remained detached from speculation, “insisting it wasn’t a difficult Deadline Day” as he continues to captain Crystal Palace and develop a growing influence at club level.

Bayern’s recruitment pattern underlines why the club is monitored closely in this market. The Bundesliga champions have integrated Premier League players into their frontline, with Michael Olise occupying the right side of an attack led by Harry Kane and Luis Díaz.

Romano also assesses the wider market and deems Serie A’s chances of signing Guéhi as “impossible” given the finances required. That assessment is underscored by the summer window figures: the Turkish top flight recorded a larger net spend than Serie A during the 2025 summer window.

For Liverpool and Manchester City, the situation is more binary: Bayern’s decision on Upamecano could either clear the path for a formal bid or consolidate the domestic contenders’ chances. Until that decision is reached, Guéhi’s next destination remains a closely watched negotiation determined as much by one player’s future as by the centre back market as a whole.

Liverpool have taken a clear stance after Mohamed Salah’s recent public complaints and a spell out of the starting lineup. Manager Arne Slot left Salah out of the XI for three consecutive matches, the last of which was the Dec. 6 defeat to Leeds United. That sequence prompted Salah to tell the mixed zone he had been thrown “under the bus,” suggesting he felt scapegoated for the club’s malaise and implying his place should be unquestioned because of past contributions.

Slot then omitted him from the starting team for the Champions League trip to Inter in Milan and kept him among the substitutes for the subsequent victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. The manager’s selections have underlined Liverpool’s unwillingness to alter team selection in response to public pressure. Salah is currently away with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations, pausing the immediate fallout, but the issue is expected to resurface before January and will require a longer term resolution.

David Ornstein discussed the situation on NBC Sports and summarised the club’s position. “Liverpool fully intend to keep Mo Salah,” Ornstein said. “They want him to remain in the January transfer window and beyond—he’s under contract until the summer of 2027.” Ornstein added that the contract Liverpool offered was intended to make their intentions clear and noted that the player had on occasion used mixed zone interactions last season to put pressure on the club.

“That seems to be at the centre of discussion,” Ornstein added. He outlined the choices facing Salah: “If he really does want to go, is he going to come forward with some proposals? We know there will be conversations and there is no shortage of interest. We know Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League like him. Al Hilal are not so keen, but there would be admiration from all over Europe as well.”

For now, Liverpool’s message is firm: the club will not bind itself to personal guarantees and expects clarity on Salah’s intentions ahead of the January window.

Jamie Carragher has urged Mohamed Salah to remain at Liverpool for the remainder of the season, while accepting that the forward’s long-term future may already be decided beyond 2025–26. The former defender, who spent part of last week heavily critical of Salah, adopted a more conciliatory public tone on Monday Night Football.

Carragher acknowledged his earlier criticism of the player’s conduct during a poor run of form, describing that assessment as a “vicious dismantling” of what he called the player’s “disgraceful” behaviour. One week later, he advised patience and participation for the months still to come.

“Last week, I was giving advice to Mo Salah and his agent, and I’m going to do it again,” the former England international smiled on this week’s MNF. “Because what we saw at the end of the game against Brighton was Mo Salah, a lack of appreciation, if you like. A little bit emotional, you know, with the Kop. He’s probably not sure himself whether that’s his last time at Anfield.

“But, if he’s thinking about moving on, I would urge him to think again.

“And the reason I would say that is, if Mo Salah is to move on from Liverpool now, the talk is he would go to the Saudi league , which is talked about over there, but probably nowhere else—except when the transfer window’s open. Mo Salah’s not going to move and leave Liverpool to go to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

“Now, Liverpool, in the second half of the season, they could get to an FA Cup final. They could get to a Champions League final. Can you imagine Mo Salah, in Saudi playing for whatever team he’s playing for, watching Liverpool come out in Budapest in their Champions League final?

“You come back at the end of January, you’ve got three months. O.K., you might not get on with the manager. You’ll start some games. You’ll be subbed some games.”

Carragher was blunt about what he expects after those months. “I don’t see Mo Salah playing for Liverpool next season,” he declared.

Reflecting on Salah’s emotional celebration with the Kop after the Brighton win, Carragher said: “Does Mo Salah deserve more than that, as a Liverpool player?” Yes was his conclusion. “He deserves a guard of honour,” the former defender proclaimed. “He deserves a mosaic in the Kop. He deserves to be able to bring his family, his wife and his kids on the pitch in his last game and actually be celebrated for what he’s done as a Liverpool player.