Softfootball understands that Manchester City has reached full agreement with Crystal Palace to bring in England center-back Marc Guehi for a fee believed to be around £20 million, as reported by sport expert Fabrizio Romano via his official X account.
He posted:
BREAKING: Marc Guehi to Manchester City, HERE WE GO!Official proposal accepted by Crystal Palace right now — understand fee will be around £20m.Guehi has ACCEPTED move to #MCFC.Exclusive story, now confirmed.
Personal terms are no longer an issue. Following a recent report by SoftFootball indicating that Manchester City are the favorites to sign Guehi, the defender has now agreed to a deal with the Premier League side and is expected to sign a long-term contract at the Etihad Stadium, reportedly running until June 2031.
At 25 years old, the Crystal Palace captain is on course to become City’s second signing of the window, following the earlier addition of Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.
The timing of the move is no coincidence. The city’s defensive situation has become increasingly uncomfortable, with Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias both sidelined through injury, while John Stones remains unavailable.
Pep Guardiola recently admitted his squad is in a difficult situation defensively, and this transfer feels very much like a reaction to that pressure rather than a long-term plan that was waiting patiently.
Guehi was widely expected to leave Palace on a free transfer in the summer. The city’s £20m offer, however, convinced the South London club to cash in now instead of risking losing their captain for nothing in a few months’ time.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has already confirmed that Guehi will not feature in the club’s upcoming Premier League match against Sunderland, which is a clear signal that the transfer is all but done.
Since joining Palace from Chelsea in 2021, Guehi has made 188 appearances and built a reputation as one of the league’s most dependable centre-backs. His mid-season exit is a blow for Palace fans, no doubt, but at least the club secured some much-needed transfer revenue.
Arsenal and Liverpool showed interest again this January, while Barcelona and Bayern Munich were watching quietly. In the end though, City moved faster, and sometimes, that’s enough.
