Manchester City have confirmed the signing of England defender Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, completing a move that has been widely expected in recent days.
The 25-year-old centre-back has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, with the deal believed to be worth around £20 million. City moved quickly to finalise the transfer as they look to solve a growing injury problem in defence.
Guehi arrives with a strong reputation in the Premier League after several consistent seasons at Crystal Palace. Speaking after the announcement, the defender said he was proud to join Manchester City and described the move as a major moment in his career. He added that joining City gives him the best chance to continue improving both as a player and as a person.
City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, praised Guehi’s qualities and experience, describing him as one of the most reliable defenders in English football. He highlighted Guehi’s leadership, professionalism and desire to keep improving, despite still being relatively young.
The England international becomes City’s second signing of the January transfer window, following the arrival of winger Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth last week. The club had stepped up their interest in Guehi after several senior defenders were ruled out through injury.
John Stones, Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol were all unavailable during City’s recent 2-0 defeat to Manchester United, leaving Pep Guardiola short of options at centre-back.
Guehi leaves Crystal Palace after captaining the club to FA Cup success last season, the first major trophy in Palace’s history. He departs having made a strong impression both at club level and on the international stage, earning 26 caps for England.
Several top European clubs were monitoring Guehi’s situation, with Liverpool and Bayern Munich among those believed to be interested ahead of the summer, when he was due to become a free agent.
Manchester City currently sit second in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal, and will hope Guehi’s arrival helps strengthen their title push during the second half of the season.
