The Eagles are eyeing up targets to take the England international’s place this summer.
Crystal Palace are back in action in the Premier League this afternoon as they travel across London to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage.
They will be without central defender Marc Guehi once again as the England international continues to recover from a knee injury that has sidelined him since February.
Oliver Glasner recently confirmed that the former Chelsea prospect has a chance to return to the first-team squad for the clash with Manchester United next week.
However, Eagles supporters may not get many more chances to watch the defender in action for the club, as he has been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park – and Palace chiefs have already identified two possible candidates to replace him.
Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi replacements
According to The Palace Way, Guehi is likely to leave in the upcoming summer transfer window to go in search of European football with a new team.
The report claims that he has no interest in putting pen to paper on a contract extension with the Eagles, with his current deal due to expire in 2026.
It adds that the board are preparing for his exit but will not let him leave for less than the £50m Manchester United paid to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Tottenham are said to be eyeing up the centre-back despite being put off by the possible price.
The Palace Way claims that the club have identified Hull City’s Jacob Greaves and Peterborough United’s Ronnie Edwards as two targets to replace Guehi, as they already plot moves to make sure Glasner is not left short in that area of the pitch.
Former England midfielder Carlton Palmer suggested that a fee of up to £20m could be required to snap up Greaves, whilst The Independent reported in January that the Posh are holding out for £10m for Edwards.
Why Palace should sign Jacob Greaves
The 23-year-old Hull star has been in phenomenal form in the Championship this season as a left-sided and left-footed central defender for the Tigers.
His superb performances in the second tier earned him a place in the divisional Team of the Season at the EFL Awards earlier this month, which speaks to the quality and consistency of his displays.
| 2023/24 season | Marc Guehi (Premier League) | Jacob Greaves (Championship) |
| Appearances | 22 | 41 |
| Sofascore rating | 6.89 | 7.31 |
| Pass accuracy | 87% | 89% |
| Tackles per game | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| Interceptions per game | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Duel success rate | 62% | 69% |
As you can see in the table above, Greaves’ defensive statistics have been superior to Guehi’s in the Premier League this term, with the caveat that he is currently playing at a lower level.
It does, however, suggest that the potential is there for him to be a superb replacement for the Palace man if he can replicate those performances in the top flight.
Edwards, meanwhile, would likely be a long-term project with the potential to grow into a first-team-calibre defender. Currently 21 years of age, he is currently playing in League One with Peterborough, winning 61% of his duels across 44 matches this term.
He could arrive at Selhurst Park as a backup option for £10m, whilst Greaves could be the main replacement for Guehi to start next to Joachim Andersen.
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