Crystal Palace asking for £26m to sell Liverpool and AC Milan target

Crystal Palace enjoyed a historic breakthrough by winning the 2024‑25 FA Cup, securing playing time in European competitions. However, UEFA’s multi‑club ownership regulations—due to John Textor’s shared stake in Palace and Lyon—have forced them into Europa Conference League instead of Europa League, creating financial and sporting challenges The Scottish Sun+15Talksport+15LondonWorld+15.

Despite the setback, Palace are preparing for a summer of potential departures: captain and centre‑back Marc Guéhi, creative winger Eberechi Eze, and attacking star Michael Olise are all widely linked with moves away LondonWorld+9Talksport+9The Liverpool Offside+9.

---

🔄 Transfer Target Overview

💼 Marc Guéhi

• Clubs interested: Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, Arsenal
• Palace view him as their biggest potential sale, targeting a club‑record fee of £40–50 million+. They may wait for offers closer to that range, especially since his contract expires next summer We are Palace+11Anfield Watch+11The Liverpool Offside+11.
• With Chelsea holding a 20% sell‑on clause, Palace’s net intake may be lower; linking around the Guéhi sale with other moves (e.g. Ben Doak) may help streamline the deal and reduce payouts 3 Added Minutes+3The Liverpool Offside+3The Guardian+3.

⚽ Liverpool Interest & Valuation

• Liverpool are seriously eyeing Guéhi; they see him as a long-term defensive option amid departures like Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen 3 Added Minutes+3Talksport+3The Guardian+3.
• While initial valuations from Palace are high, they may eventually accept a lower figure—possibly around £40 million—if linked deals, like offering Ben Doak, become part of the negotiation package .
• Palace potentially see Doak as a replacement if they lose key creative players like Eze or Olise Goal+11The Liverpool Offside+11We are Palace+11.

---

🟣 The “£26 Million Asking Price” Claim

There have been media mentions suggesting Palace are demanding £26 million for a player tied to Liverpool and AC Milan—but which player?

• Strahinja Pavlovic, a central defender at AC Milan, was reportedly valued by Palace around £40 million, yet they might start bids at £25–26 million as an opening approach, should they look to replace Guéhi Wikipedia+5Goal+5HITC+5Reddit+5The Sun+5The Sun+5.
• However, Pavlovic belongs to Milan, not Liverpool, and no credible reports link Liverpool to him directly. Thus, any suggestion of Palace asking £26 million to sell Pavlovic to Liverpool appears inaccurate or confused.
• Alternatively, French media and scouting outlets mention Iliman Ndiaye (recently at Marseille, formerly Sheffield United) having a market value of around £25.7 million and being of interest to Palace, but this transaction involves Ligue 1, not Liverpool or Milan We are Palace.
• There’s no verified instance of Crystal Palace publicly setting a £26 million asking price specifically for a Liverpool‑and‑AC Milan‑linked player.

---

🛠️ Clarifying the Likely Mix‑Up

What seems to be happening:

1. Palace value Marc Guéhi between £40–50 million → Liverpool are primary suitors.
2. Palace may court AC Milan’s Pavlovic as a potential Guéhi replacement, valued similarly, but with bids possibly starting from £25–26 million.
3. Media coverage may have conflated or mis‑communicated: “Palace priced potential Milan transfer target at £26 million,” which got misread as “Palace asking Liverpool £26 million for the player.”

So, any article saying Palace ask £26 million to sell a Liverpool & AC Milan target is likely based on partial fact about Pavlovic pricing (to Palace), but not a request to Liverpool — and Guéhi’s valuation is far higher.

---

🧾 Summary Table

Player	Position	Club & Linked Destinations	Reported Palace Valuation	Liverpool Link?	AC Milan Link?
Marc Guéhi	Centre‑back	Crystal Palace → Liverpool et al.	≈ £40–50 million (club record)	✅ Yes	❌ Not owned by Milan
Strahinja Pavlovic	Centre‑back	AC Milan → Palace interest	Bid expectations ~£25–26 million	❌ No	✅ Italian club
Iliman Ndiaye	Winger/Attacking MF	Marseille → Palace interest	≈ £25.7 million	❌ None reported	❌ Not Italian club

---

📌 Where Things Stand (as of mid‑July 2025)

• Guéhi: Palace prioritize a big sale; Liverpool remain frontrunners; his contract ends summer 2026 Anfield Watch+5The Guardian+5The Liverpool Offside+5HITC+1HITC+1Talksport+1We are Palace+1The Scottish Sun.
• Pavlovic: Potential replacement target, but not someone Palace own or have sold; bids might start in £25–26m region .
• Media confusion: It seems some outlets conflated Pavlovic’s £25–26m entry into the story with Guéhi’s negotiations — leading to misleading headlines.

---

🧠 Why £26 Million Appears in Reports

• Misleading context: Pavlovic’s rumored starting price (£25–26m) for Palace to bid Milan got misinterpreted as Palace selling a player to Liverpool for that amount.
• Different players involved: Pavlovic and Guéhi are both centre‑backs valued similarly, but with entirely separate club affiliations.

---

🔮 What to Watch Next

• Official bids: If Liverpool tables a firm offer for Guéhi—likely in excess of £40m—and Palace accept, that may trigger talks of linked signings.
• Linked swap talks: Lucas Liverpool might include Ben Doak as part of the package to reduce cash outlay and offset Chelsea’s sell‑on cut for Guéhi The Liverpool Offside.
• Pavlovic’s situation: If Palace formalize a bid to AC Milan for Pavlovic, it reinforces the theory that the £26m circulating relates to initiating negotiations rather than a confirmed sale.

---

🏁 Bottom Line

Crystal Palace did not set a £26 million asking price to sell a player they own to Liverpool or AC Milan. Instead, that figure appears to emerge from:

• Their interest in Milan’s Pavlovic at what might be a low‑ball starting bid (£25‑26m), and
• Misinterpretation or misattribution in media, conflating that with Guéhi’s much higher valuation.

The principal Liverpool‑Palace transfer saga remains Marc Guéhi, with price tags far exceeding £26m and linked negotiations potentially involving Ben Doak to bridge valuation gaps.