Arsenal have apparently held internal discussions over a move for another Crystal Palace star, but a deal is unlikely to happen in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners unveiled Eberechi Eze as their seventh summer signing ahead of Saturday’s 5-0 Premier League victory over Leeds United, having hijacked Tottenham Hotspur’s proposed move for the England international.
Palace and Spurs had shaken hands on a fee for Eze, but the 27-year-old’s priority was always to return to boyhood club Arsenal, who rapidly secured his signing in the wake of Kai Havertz’s knee injury.
Eze was in the stands as Arsenal’s defenders stole the show on Saturday, as Jurrien Timber bagged two goals and an assist, while Riccardo Calafiori set up two of his side’s five strikes against the Whites.
In between the two full-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes kept their second clean sheet in two Premier League matches this season, while new signing Cristhian Mosquera came on for the dying embers of the clash.
With Mosquera in the ranks, Jakub Kiwior has slipped down the pecking order, and the Poland international is being tipped to leave the Emirates Stadium before the transfer deadline on September 1.
According to HandofArsenal, the Gunners recently discussed a deal for Marc Guehi behind closed doors ahead of Kiwior’s potential departure, but a shock swoop for the former Chelsea man is not expected to materialise in the coming days.
Guehi is reportedly prioritising regular minutes at this stage of his career, and he recognises that his chances of displacing either Saliba or Gabriel in Mikel Arteta’s backline are incredibly slim.
Meanwhile, Kiwior is said to be prioritising a move to a non-English club if he is to call time on his career with Arsenal, who are already said to have rebuffed one offer from Portuguese giants Porto for the former Spezia centre-back.
Kiwior was an unused substitute in Saturday’s pummelling of Leeds and has played 68 times for the Gunners since joining midway through the 2022-23 season, coming up with three goals and five assists.
Having already pipped Spurs to the Eze post, Arsenal could pull off a sensational second hijack by bringing Guehi to the club, as Liverpool have long been regarded as the favourites for the Palace centre-back.
Guehi’s contract at Selhurst Park expires at the end of the current season, and chairman Steve Parish has hinted that the Eagles may have to consider selling their skipper this summer to avoid the risk of losing him for nothing in 2026.
Liverpool’s interest – while firm and serious – is yet to translate into a successful offer, but the Reds are still believed to be attentive to the situation while they also monitor the latest Alexander Isak developments at Newcastle United.
However, Guehi may also find it tough to displace Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, so he could alternatively wait until next year and join the Reds for nothing if Konate departs for Real Madrid.
