Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has said the club could be forced to consider selling captain Marc Guéhi this summer.
Palace came back to beat Liverpool in a penalty shoot-out and lift the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.
Palace’s second piece of silverware in 86 days — after winning the FA Cup in May — was a welcome reprieve from their ongoing legal battle, with the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) expected to rule on Monday whether they will play in the Europa League or Conference League this season.
Guéhi’s contract expires at the end of this campaign and Sunday’s opponents Liverpool are thought to be frontrunners to secure the signature of the 25-year-old England defender.
“Yes. I mean, we’d have to, of course,” said Parish, who is also co-owner, when asked if he would seriously entertain tempting bids for his skipper over the next three weeks.
“For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem. No doubt about it, unfortunately.
“We had one bid [last summer] but Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham] and we couldn’t afford to lose both of them. We then had another bid in January but that was a difficult situation as well, and the player had a point of view on that one.
“So we just have to see what happens but it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”
Guéhi, suffering from cramp, came off late in second-half stoppage time at Wembley.
It was his replacement, 21-year-old Northern Ireland international Justin Devenny, who ultimately fired home the winning penalty in the 3-2 shoot-out after the sides remained locked in a 2-2 stalemate at the end of normal time.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner is adamant the Eagles need at least two more quality additions — even before any potential departures — while other top talent including Eberechi Eze, who has been linked to Arsenal, might also be lured away.
“I think in the end, people trade players. That’s what football clubs do,” Parish said. “If you just don’t care about reinvigorating the team, you don’t care about tomorrow, ever, you just put it all off.
“Then, we’re a fantastic team, you know and if we had four more players, I don’t know what we could achieve but unfortunately it’s not always as simple as that.”
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Parish pointed to the “crazy” and “just nuts” fees for players and the club’s outgoings this year.
“We’ll have to see,” he added. “We’ll do whatever we can. We won’t stop working and we will do whatever we can.
“But as far as people being here or not being here, it depends. If it’s the right decision for the football club and for them, nobody can make anyone go, then there will be some changes, but you’ve got to make smart ones.”
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