England international Marc Guéhi has finalised his transfer to Premier League champions Manchester City from Crystal Palace in a deal worth £20 million.
A Dream Realised at the Etihad
The 25-year-old centre-back has put pen to paper on a long-term contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2031. Guéhi revealed that securing the move to the reigning champions felt like a career-defining moment. "This move feels like the culmination of all the hard work I have put into my career," he stated. "I am now at the best club in England and part of an unbelievable squad of players."
Timing Driven by Defensive Crisis
City's move for the defender comes at a critical time, with three of their first-choice centre-backs currently sidelined through injury. Rúben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones are all out, prompting the club to act in the January window. The situation had become so acute that academy graduate Max Alleyne was recently recalled from a loan spell at Watford to provide cover.
The transfer was agreed upon last Friday, leading to Guéhi being withdrawn from Crystal Palace's squad for their weekend Championship fixture against Sunderland to complete the formalities. Interestingly, the player was close to joining Liverpool last summer before Palace halted that deal. Liverpool opted not to re-enter the race this month, reportedly due to seeing little value in a January purchase for a player whose contract was set to expire in the summer.
Palace Boss Voices Frustration
The sale has not been well received at Selhurst Park, with manager Oliver Glasner openly criticising the club's board for sanctioning the departure. Following a defeat at Sunderland, a visibly frustrated Glasner said, "We feel that we’re being abandoned. There’s no support. Everybody’s disappointed. We’ve been playing with 12 to 13 players for weeks now. On the bench I had just kids."
As part of the financial structure, Guéhi's former club Chelsea will receive 20% of the transfer fee, a clause inserted when he moved from Stamford Bridge to Palace in 2021. Guéhi becomes Manchester City's second signing of the January window, following the high-profile £62.5 million acquisition of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.
