Manchester City have reportedly agreed to a deal in principle to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi for a sum of £20m. This move comes amidst injuries to key defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, prompting the club's management to seek reinforcements.
Guehi, an England centre-back aged 25, has been on the radar of several top European clubs. His contract with Crystal Palace is set to expire this summer, and he was previously close to signing with Liverpool last summer. However, it seems that Manchester City has won the race for his signature.
BBC Sport reported earlier this month that City was exploring a move for Guehi. Talks have accelerated in recent days and it is now expected that he will join Manchester City on a long-term contract within this month. While personal terms have not yet been formally agreed upon, they are not anticipated to pose any significant hurdles in finalising the deal.
Transfer window activity
This development follows closely after Man City's acquisition of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth during the current transfer window at an impressive fee of £62.5m. The news about Guehi’s potential move coincided with confirmation from Oliver Glasner, manager of Crystal Palace, about his impending departure from the club when his contract expires in June 2022. Glasner insisted that his decision had "zero impact" due to Guehi's potential transfer as it had already been decided months ago.
Despite Glasner expressing his desire for Guehi to stay until season-end, both clubs reached an agreement over the defender’s transfer late Thursday night. It appears that Glasner informed Steve Parish - Chairman at Crystal Palace - back in October about not renewing his contract but chose Friday as an opportune moment to publicly confirm his planned exit.
The signing of Guehi is a significant move for Manchester City, bolstering their defensive line amidst injuries to key players. It also marks a pivotal moment for Crystal Palace, who will be losing both their captain and manager in the coming months. As the football world continues to watch these developments unfold, it's clear that this transfer window has been anything but quiet.
