Newcastle’s hopes of signing Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi for a fee of about £70m are dwindling as the transfer window deadline approaches. The Magpies are reluctant to meet Palace’s asking price, which has been a stumbling block in negotiations for the talented England centre-back.

Despite Guéhi’s impressive performances at Euro 2024, including playing in six out of seven games for England, Palace chairman Steve Parish has made it clear that Newcastle will have to pay “superstar money” to secure the defender. Newcastle’s offer of £65m falls short of Palace’s valuation, leaving the deal in jeopardy.

There are concerns at Newcastle that they may miss out on their top defensive target, with talks between the two clubs at a standstill. The risk for Palace is that they could lose Guéhi for free next summer if they fail to cash in on him now.

With Newcastle also linked to other defenders like RB Leipzig’s Mohamed Simakan and Chelsea’s Axel Disasi, the lack of transfer activity at St James’ Park this summer is causing doubts over their chances of qualifying for Europe. The Magpies have been relatively quiet in the market, in contrast to Palace who have already sold Michael Olise to Bayern Munich and are set to sign Maxence Lacroix from Wolfsburg.

The uncertainty surrounding Guéhi’s potential move to Newcastle is a cause for concern for both clubs, with time running out before the transfer window closes. Newcastle’s unwillingness to meet Palace’s valuation could derail their ambitions for the upcoming season.