Inside Newcastle's failed pursuit of Guehi: THE SAMI MOKBEL COLUMN

Conspiracy theories, four-hour long talks and a £75million price tag - the Marc Guehi transfer saga was an exhausting one.

In the eyes of many, Crystal Palace emerged victorious from the arduous affair as they successfully resisted Newcastle's advances for a player handed the Eagles captaincy over the summer.

In the fullness of time, however, Palace's refusal to sanction Guehi's exit may yet bite them in the backside. Financially, at least.

Having kept the 23-year-old, Palace are now expected to begin the dance of persuading Guehi into signing a new contract. 

Any offer would include a big pay rise for a player who emerged as one of England's stars of Euro 2024.

It would also very likely include a release clause of between £60m-£70m.

But all the early indications are that Guehi would have reservations about signing an extension. Palace have certainly been offered no assurances that he is currently willing to do so.

Guehi is in a strong position. With under two years left on his deal, the prospect of securing a money-spinning Bosman transfer is on the horizon. Why would he give that up?

At a cut price fee, many of the Premier League's top clubs will view Guehi as a golden opportunity.

Manchester City, for example, have already checked on how Guehi's future may develop.

And ultimately, the centre-back's desire to play Champions League football will emerge as a pivotal factor in how Guehi evaluates his future. So, too, will playing for a team in which he is a regular.

If the option of joining a club that presents him with the chance of fulfilling those ambitions arises, then he may find it too difficult to turn down, no matter how attractive and lucrative a free transfer may seem.

The price at which Palace would be willing to sell Guehi will also be key. A deal of around £50million would be optimum for Palace next summer.

But with the possibility of signing Guehi for nothing now a valid negotiating tactic, who's to say clubs would be willing to pay that much?

Indeed, the sporting director of one side interested in Guehi has indicated that only a fee of £30million or below would tempt them.

What is for certain is Palace only have two transfer windows to either extend Guehi's contract or sell before their star defender can officially sign a pre-contract with a foreign club.

Palace have taken a calculated gamble. Their footballing ambitions are best served with a team that includes Guehi.

For all the progress they have made, the club's overriding ambition continues to be preserving their top-flight status.

Famous last words, but a team including Guehi, Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Eddie Nketiah and Trevoh Chalobah won't relegate.

Indeed, Palace view their summer transfer window as a success; not necessarily because of who they signed but who they kept.

Eze, who had a £68million release clause over the summer, stayed despite expectation from Palace that one of the Premier League's top six would activate his buyout.

The clause elapsed at 5pm on August 16 but will reopen next year when Palace are open to softening the terms and conditions of Eze's release stipulation to pave the way towards his inevitable exit.

Part of their willingness to negotiate, despite the buyout, is said to be to facilitate Eze's ambition of playing regular European football.

But with Eze, who will 27 by the time the 2025/26 campaign starts, entering the final two years of his contract, the time to sell the England forward appears optimal when the summer window reopens.

After Manchester United, City and Tottenham expressed an interest, Palace were so convinced Eze would leave that they lined up a deal for Johan Bakayoko from PSV Eindhoven as his replacement.

But the offers never arrived, though one more consistent season at Palace will almost certainly result in Eze moving.

Similarly, there was tentative interest in Wharton but primarily with a view to a potential move next summer. Liverpool and City among the clubs now tracking the midfielder's progress.

Palace were powerless, however, in preventing Michael Olise from leaving for Bayern Munich, who activated a complex release clause, worth around £60million, in his contract.

Chelsea signalled their intention to meet the buyout and believed they were in pole position to land the talented winger.

Little did they know that at least three other clubs had expressed their intention to do the same.

United, for example, enquired. They were so smitten with the idea of signing Olise that they were ready to enlist the help of Sir Alex Ferguson in trying to persuade the winger to join.

But United were too late. Olise was set on Bayern - although United would be at front of the queue if the France international decides to leave in the future.

Keeping Guehi, though, is viewed as the club's main triumph.

By the end, there was an general sense at Palace that Newcastle never really gave them a decision to make, although certain figures at St James' Park believe the south Londoners never intended to sell.

The second and final official bid tabled by Newcastle for the England international was worth £55million plus a further £5m in add-ons.

The Magpies, however, did communicate, on three occasions, their intention to make improved offers - the highest landing at £65million plus £5million.

But it is understood those verbal offers never transitioned into formal bids, primarily because Palace never signalled that any of them would be accepted.

A deal worth £70million was still short, albeit marginally, of Crystal Palace's valuation, which was set at £65m + £10m.

There were indications in the final week of the transfer window that the two clubs had found a middle ground.

But then Palace centre back Chadi Riad damaged his medial collateral ligament in a Carabao Cup tie against Norwich.

The injury, coupled with Palace's decision to sell Guehi's long-term central defensive partner Joachim Andersen to Fulham for £30million, signalled the beginning of the end for Newcastle's pursuit.

Palace didn't budge on their price. Newcastle didn't fold.

Palace's valuation may have seemed excessive. But at the very heart of the club's sky-high valuation was the player's refusal to push for a move.

If Guehi had made clear he wanted to leave then chances are that he would be a Newcastle player today for a fee less than £75million.

Indeed, Mail Sport has learned that Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell, who was leading the swoop, traveled down to London to meet chairman Parish in the middle of August with a view to closing the transfer for a player Eddie Howe had expressed was his one and only central defensive target.

The meeting lasted around four hours. By all accounts, Parish left the meeting more determined than ever to resist Newcastle's advances.

Having heard that Howe had put all their eggs in Guehi's basket, Parish used the information as a leverage to stick to his high price.

Palace were also aware of an emerging political narrative behind the scenes at Newcastle.

Howe wanted to see if Mitchell could deliver what he wanted. Mitchell, working on his first big transfer since his appointment, wanted to prove he could.

That Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales entered into negotiations during the final days of the window offered further intrigue into a political picture on Tyneside that will continue to simmer.

Of course, none of that concerned Palace or Parish, who, after that face-to-face meeting with Mitchell, gave Newcastle the magic number.

That number was never matched. Mitchell and Eales have their reasons as to why Newcastle didn't cough up. Howe has his views.

Palace, though, have Guehi.

Chelsea are approached by Kick It Out

Chelsea have been approached by anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out to explain their handing of the Enzo Fernandez racism saga.

Officials from the stakeholder are understood to have expressed their deep dismay at the way the Stamford Bridge club have navigated the controversial affair.

The Blues opened an internal investigation and released a statement condemning all 'discriminatory behaviour' after a social media video following Argentina's Copa America victory appeared to show Fernandez and his teammates chanting a derogatory song about the French team as they celebrated.

Fernandez himself apologised for his part in the video, which is under FIFA investigation.

At the time Kick It Out released a statement branding the chant 'unacceptable'.

Since then Chelsea have not confirmed whether Fernandez has been disciplined. Furthermore the midfielder has captained Chelsea in the absence of injured club skipper Reece James.

And Mail Sport has learned that Kick It Out have held talks with Chelsea officials to express their huge disappointment at the way the situation has been dealt with.

Sources close to the matter have indicated that the anti-discrimination stakeholder are particularly angered by the message the situation conveys, especially with regards to Fernandez captaining Chelsea at the start of the season.

Head coach Enzo Maresca defended his decision to give Fernandez the armband saying 'all of us make mistakes. It's important to recognise Enzo did a mistake, recognised the mistake and it's finished.'

Chelsea and Kick It Out were both contacted.

England may have to make the first move for White

England face having to make the first move if Ben White is to end his international exile.

The Arsenal defender was excluded from newly-appointed interim head coach Lee Carsley's first squad ahead of the UEFA Nations League games versus Ireland and Finland.

White made clear earlier this year that he didn't want to be included for England matches after leaving World Cup 2022 early following an disagreement with then assistant manager Steve Holland.

In confirming White's omission last week, Carsley pointed out that White had not indicated an intention to make himself available again despite Gareth Southgate - and more pertinently - Holland's departure.

And current indications are that White is indifferent about resuming his international career.

It remains to been whether the versatile defender's ambivalence wavers in the future. But if the Football Association require White to approach them with a view to playing international football again then, as things stand, they may be waiting a while.

Man United open to new recruitment specialist 

Manchester United remain open to adding another senior recruitment specialist to their new-look transfer team.

The Old Trafford club have revamped their recruitment department since INEOS' takeover earlier this year.

Dan Ashworth was appointed sporting director after leaving Newcastle, Jason Wilcox has assumed the role of technical director and Christopher Vivell has been appointed into the role as interim director of recruitment, a position he will fill until at least February.

Chief executive Omar Berrada has also played an active role in executing the club's transfer plan over the summer, as has INEOS' director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford.

But Mail Sport understands United are exploring adding another lead recruitment expert in the coming months, particularly with deputy football director Andy O'Boyle set to leave.

Jose Mourinho makes surprise wedding appearance 

Jose Mourinho was a surprise guest at Hull owner Acun Ilicali's wedding this week.

Businessman and broadcaster Ilicali is one of Turkey's most recognisable figures and he got married for the fourth time in a lavish ceremony in his homeland on Wednesday.

Mourinho took over at Fenerbahce earlier this summer and already appears to have friends in high places as he celebrated with Ilicali, who has close links to the Istanbul-based club.

Arsenal plot late transfer for Bryan Mbeumo

Arsenal considered a late transfer window move for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo.

Mikel Arteta had put a new forward on his wish list during the summer window and the Gunners finally signed Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea.

News of Sterling's potential arrival at the Emirates swept through the squad 24 hours before Friday's 11pm deadline with players frantically trying to ascertain whether the deal was realistically on the cards.

On deadline day, Arsenal were considering Kingsley Coman and Sterling - this column revealing last Thursday that both players had been offered to the Gunners during the closing days of the window.

But Mail Sport can reveal that Mbeumo was among the forwards Arsenal's recruitment team explored during the window.

Mbeumo's impact at Brentford has been overshadowed Ivan Toney's successes but the Cameroon international has emerged as key player for Thomas Frank since his arrival in 2019.

The 25-year-old has been a consistent performer for the Bees during since their Premier League promotion in 2021.

He has scored three goals in as many matches so far this season.

Jason Puncheon speaks out 

Former Crystal Palace forward Jason Puncheon has spoken of his concern at the lack of management opportunities for ethnic minority coaches.

Historically there has been a severe lack of black managers across England's top four divisions. Nottingham Forest's Nuno Espirito Santo is the only head coach of BAME heritage in the Premier League as things stand.

And in an exclusive interview with Mail Sport, Puncheon - who started his management career in Cyprus owing to what he views as a lack of chances for ethnic minorities across British football - said: 'If I'm being completely honest, I don't think there's opportunities for ethnic diversity coaches in the UK.

'I think the the best opportunity you are going to get is going abroad to learn your trade and then coming back to the UK with a stronger CV in terms of experience.'

For the full interview with Puncheon click here.

James Trafford's England recall hampered 

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford's hopes of an England recall are set to hampered after he failed to earn a Premier League move.

Carsley is a big admirer of Trafford, who was No 1 when Carsley led England Under-21's to European Championship glory last summer.

The 21-year-old broke into the senior set-up last season and was named by Southgate in England's provisional Euro 2024 squad having spent the campaign playing Premier League football at Turf Moor.

Indeed, there is every chance that Trafford would have been included in the current England squad had he started the season in the top-flight but Burnley's relegation, and the fact he wasn't signed by a Premier League side, is expected to hinder his chances of a recall.

Newcastle were interested in Trafford but have started the season with Nick Pope, who has been recalled back into the England set-up.

Premier League clubs shown new 'Referee's Call' edict  

Premier League clubs were shown a clip of Stuart Attwell's decision to award Aston Villa a match-winning penalty in December's clash versus Burnley to illustrate the top-flight's new 'Referee's Call' edict.

Attwell pointed to the spot in the 89th minute of the clash at Villa Park after home striker Jhon Duran fell under a challenge from Aaron Ramsey.

Commentators and pundits were split over whether the decisions was correct, though Burnley boss Vincent Kompany called the decision soft as Douglas Luiz scored converted to win the game 3-2 for Unai Emery's side.

And the incident was used to illustrate the Premier League's new directive that states 'the referee's call should stand unless the VAR, based on readily available evidence, can see without doubt the on-pitch official has made a clear mistake. In the absence of that clear evidence, the referee's call will stand.'

The 'Referee's Call' edict was launched with a view to reducing VAR intervention, although the Premier League already has the lowest VAR intervention rate of all of Europe's major divisions.

Rashford's been keeping tabs on the academy talent 

Marcus Rashford took time out of his preparations for last week's clash against Liverpool to keep an eye on the club's academy talent.

The forward, who emerged through United's youth system, was a surprise attendee of his club's Under 18s clash against Liverpool on Saturday morning, much to the delight of players and staff.

Rashford often watches United's next generation who are trying to follow in his footsteps to break into the first team but his presence always causes a stir.