Marc Guehi joins Man City on mega-money contract to end six-month transfer saga

Man City have confirmed the signing of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi.

The 26-cap England international joins at a vital time for Pep Guardiola’s side after losing John Stones, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias to injury.

Getty

Arsenal currently top the Premier League table but Man City, despite a dip in form, remain within striking distance.

And the addition of Guehi could be key in keeping their title hunt alive for the Cityzens.

It brings an end to the intense transfer speculation that the 25-year-old has found himself in the midst of since the start of last summer.

Guehi is signing for £20m, plus add-ons, and will be getting a sizeable signing on fee. He will wear the no.15 jersey at City.

He has also penned a five-and-a-half year deal worth around £300,000-per-week.

Why did Liverpool miss out on Guehi?

Man City’s victory in the race is another cruel blow for Liverpool, who believed they had signed the player in the summer.

Guehi appeared all set to join the Reds on transfer deadline day back in August.

However, Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner threatened to quit the club should the £35million move go through.

Now, though, circumstance has seen Man City swoop in, despite Liverpool still requiring to bolster a shaky backline that has cost them a chance to retain the title they won last season.

Why did teams want Guehi?

Although he didn’t make a single appearance for the club, Guehi’s talent was obvious as he came through the ranks at Chelsea.

He thrived in their excellent academy and a breakout season-and-a-half spell with Swansea on loan from 2020 to 2021, which saw them reach the play-offs twice.

Crystal Palace then swooped to sign him for £18million and he was an immediate hit in south London.

Getty

His form helped the Eagles finish higher in three consecutive seasons from 2021 to 2024.

That saw Newcastle mount a bid to sign him before he led Palace to the FA Cup final, which they won at Wembley, doing so as captain with Joel Ward out of the team.

He then led them to win the Community Shield by beating Liverpool on penalties last summer.

Guehi is also now a regular for England and starred for the Three Lions at Euro 2024.

He remained at the heart of defence when Gareth Southgate was replaced by Thomas Tuchel.