Manchester City transfer news: how the Cityzens beat Liverpool and Bayern to secure an ‘unlikely’ deal for Guehi

Manchester City moved swiftly and decisively in the January transfer window to secure the signing of Marc Guehi, stunning their rivals and avoiding what had the potential to become a prolonged transfer saga.

The 25-year-old defender joined the Citizens shortly after the window opened, completing a deal that many believed would only be possible in the summer. Guehi was under contract at Crystal Palace until the end of the season and had attracted strong interest from both Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

With his deal at Selhurst Park nearing its expiry, Guehi was free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a club outside England and move in the summer. Bayern were reported by The Athletic to have made a “very strong offer”, but City’s relentless pursuit proved decisive.

Why Manchester City pushed to sign Guehi in January

According to the report, City were determined to bring the England international to the Etihad Stadium midway through the season and agreed to pay more than Guehi and his representatives had expected to earn on the open market in the summer.

In addition to a £20m transfer fee, the Manchester club also paid a “significant” agent commission. It was further agreed that Crystal Palace would retain a sell-on clause, believed to be worth 10%, should Guehi be sold in the future.

As for wages, Guehi was initially thought to be seeking a salary of around £300,000 per week. However, sources cited by The Athletic claim the figure agreed with City is lower than that amount.

“Only a combination of commitment and financial power was enough to change the picture, because just a few weeks ago, a January deal seemed unlikely,” the article noted.

City’s urgency is understandable. Pep Guardiola is currently without three senior centre-backs due to injury, with Ruben Dias, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol all sidelined.

“Without John, without Ruben, without Josko, we are in a difficult situation defensively. Not for one game, but for a long, long period,” Guardiola admitted in a press conference. “Ruben will be back soon, John, with luck, we’ll see, but Josko, no.”

Guehi is expected to eventually take over Stones’ role, with the latter’s contract set to expire at the end of the current cycle.

City outmanoeuvre rivals in race for Guehi

Guehi had decided against renewing his contract with Crystal Palace and was prepared to see out the season after a proposed move to Liverpool collapsed during the final window of 2025.

Although he was reportedly happy at Selhurst Park, the defender was keen for a new challenge. Given Liverpool’s strong interest last year, City initially viewed the Reds as their main competitors. However, the Merseyside club opted to wait until the summer and hoped Guehi would do the same.

Liverpool were aware of Palace’s willingness to sell the player in January but backed away once the financial demands became clear, opening the door for Bayern Munich to enter the race.

The German champions made a financially attractive proposal and held discussions with Guehi through Harry Kane and former Palace teammate Michael Olise.

However, Bayern were only prepared to sign the defender ahead of next season — a stance that ultimately allowed Manchester City to seize the initiative and close an “improbable” January deal.

This article was originally published on Trivela.