LIVERPOOL’S hopes of signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace have been dealt a blow, with reports suggesting one of their fiercest rivals is targeting the England defender.The Reds believed they had the £35million defender wrapped up on deadline day after Guehi underwent a medical and agreed to a five-year contract. Marc Guehi had completed a medical for Liverpool but Crystal Palace blocked the dealReutersGettySteve Parish had to explain to Guehi why they could not go ahead with the transfer[/caption]GettyOliver Glasner was desperate to hold on to his club captain[/caption]However, Palace pulled the plug after failing to secure a replacement for their star centre-back.It now looks increasingly unlikely that Liverpool will land the 25-year-old for free next summer when his contract expires with several top European clubs vying for his signature.Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, and Juventus are all said to have taken an interest in Guehi and now Manchester City have reportedly entered the fray. According to the Daily Mirror, Pep Guardiola’s side are huge admirers of the Palace captain who led his team to an FA Cup final victory over City last season.Guehi’s stock has been rising steadily. Recently, he played a key role in England‘s World Cup qualifying victories over Andorra and Serbia, even scoring in the latter match.This season, he’s also making his mark in European competition, featuring in the Conference League for the first time in his career, which will further boost his reputation.Many believe that Guehi is ready for a move to a club that can challenge for the Premier League title with Arsenal and Manchester United also having been linked with the defender.Despite the growing interest, Guehi has remained professional throughout the transfer window, opting to wait until at least January before making a move. BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKHe has been a key player for Palace since joining from Chelsea in 2021, quickly establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most consistent defenders.Palace boss Oliver Glasner was adamant that the club would not sell Guehi without securing a replacement. PAArne Slot was hoping he could add Guehi to his team as they look to defend the league title[/caption]He stated that the defender was “necessary” to their hopes of a successful season. The club had been targeting Brighton’s Igor Julio on loan but when that deal fell through, any potential move for Guehi was postponed.Glasner explained: “We had a meeting in March where we discussed the situation and agreed that we could sell Marc if we found the right replacement. “We wanted to have a replacement in place before the season began. But here we are on August 31, and that replacement hasn’t arrived.“It’s clear one part of our agreement wasn’t fulfilled, which means we can’t sell Marc. It’s not a wish, it’s essential for a successful season.”SunSport understands Guehi has informed Palace he will not sign a contract extension and the club will listen to offers in January to ensure he doesn’t walk away for nothing.GettyPep is reportedly a huge fan of the Crystal Palace defender[/caption]