By John Cross

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Manchester City are ready to rival Liverpool to sign Marc Guehi as a free agent next summer. And it could develop into a huge transfer tug-of-war between two of the Premier League ’s biggest clubs for the England defender. Guehi, 25, saw a £35m deadline day move to Liverpool collapse at the last minute when Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the deal. It has opened the door for other clubs because Guehi will become a free agent when his contract expires next summer. That has alerted the likes of Real Madrid , Barcelona , Bayern Munich , Inter Milan and Juventus as Europe’s top clubs are all ready to make a move for the Palace captain. However, there will also be a huge pull to stay in the Premier League as Liverpool will revisit their interest next summer and will feel they have a big advantage in the race to sign Guehi. And now they have serious interest from City to contend with as the Manchester giants are huge admirers of the classy centre half. It was clear to all clubs in the last window that Guehi had decided his future was either joining Liverpool or to see out his contract and move on a free next summer. Therefore, City were never contenders in the last window and did not rival Liverpool’s interest. But that is set to change next summer. There is also no chance of Guehi moving in January as he has reiterated his commitment to Palace this season and the fans have been hugely supportive of him because of the way he conducted himself through the transfer saga. But Guehi will be able to command a bigger contract with clubs scrambling over his signature because it is rare that a player of his quality and age moves on a free transfer. Chelsea have also been linked with Guehi because Enzo Maresca is a big admirer but it is highly unlikely he would go back to the club where he began his career through the academy ranks. But there is serious interest from abroad. Real Madrid have gained a reputation for spending big on forwards and signing defenders on cheap or free deals like they did with Trent Alexander-Arnold . Barcelona are also keen and Guehi also has an Ivorian passport so he counts as an EU player in Spain which would make him an even more attractive option for the La Liga giants. Bayern Munich are also interested having made a hugely successful signing in Harry Kane and would see Guehi as a brilliant deal on a free. Foreign clubs can talk to Guehi from January 1 and get a pre-contract agreement which could also give them an advantage over Premier League teams. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.