Newcastle United's Marc Guehi door open as Crystal Palace make change out of desperation

Crystal Palace are bang in trouble after a tricky start to the season and the failure to tie Marc Guehi down to a new deal leaves the door open for Newcastle United to renew their interest in the England international.

Guehi's contract expires in 2026 and should he not commit his future to Palace by January, the Eagles may well be forced to sell in the winter market - rather than allowing the defender to enter the final 18 months of his deal and subsequently lose value.

The Selhurst Park outfit are languishing in 18th after 11 games, winning just one of their top flight clashes this season. Guehi was used as a central midfielder in Saturday's 2-0 loss at home to Fulham, as Palace's injury issues forced Oliver Glasner into deploying the central defender in a new role out of sheer desperation.

READ MORE:Newcastle United hit by second blow after controversial call with Eddie Howe forced into changes

READ MORE:Newcastle United transfer desire remains as Eddie Howe finds short-term solution until January

“Marc is one of our most experienced players,” said the Austrian manager. “[The idea was] to have him next to Justin [Devenny] for his debut. Marc did really well against Aston Villa in the last game of last season.

“He’s a very intelligent player and confident on the ball. But, to be honest, it didn’t work.”

Newcastle were at the negotiating table for almost the entirety of August as they sought to do a deal with Palace for Guehi's services. The summer move failed to materialise with the Magpies ending the window with Eddie Howe's squad weakened, rather than strengthened.

Since then, Newcastle have more than managed at the back with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn continuing their fine partnership at the heart of the defence, while Emil Krafth and Lloyd Kelly have performed equally well when given the chance.

As for Guehi, he has been focused on getting his head right after a summer of speculation caused a shaky period of form at the beginning of the campaign.

"When you are constantly reading things about yourself, it can be distracting for some people," Guehi said earlier this month. “I’m just glad I have a good support system around me, my family, the club, my friends. And it is important that humility, making sure you focus on the task at hand."