Why £35m star would be a “very sensible” signing for Manchester City as January transfer prediction is made

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi would be a “very sensible” addition to Manchester City’ squad in the January transfer window, Citizens expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany has told Sports Mole.

Pep Guardiola’s side are believed to be edging closer to completing the £65m signing of Bournemouth attacker Antoine Semenyo, but defensive reinforcements could soon be on the cards.

Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake are the only two first-team centre-back options fit and available for Guardiola after both Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias suffered injuries in last weekend’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Chelsea.

While the severity of Dias’s injury is currently unknown, Gvardiol could miss the rest of the season as he will have surgery on a tibial fracture later this week. Fellow defender John Stones, meanwhile, is “many months” away from a return, according to Guardiola.

Man City have decided to recall 20-year-old academy graduate Max Alleyne from his loan spall at Championship club Watford, but a recent report claims that the Citizens have emerged as contenders to sign Liverpool target Guehi this month.

Guehi, who almost joined Liverpool for £35m in the summer, has less than six months remaining on his Palace contract and Man City’s interest in the 25-year-old England international is said to have progressed, with a January move not be discounted.

Man City given green light to complete “sensible” Guehi signing in January

McInerney believes that there is a “good chance” that Guardiola’s side will strengthen his squad with at least one more player after the expected arrival of Semenyo, and Guehi could prove to be a shrewd acquisition.

“I think there's a good chance that Guardiola signs someone else,” McInerney told Sports Mole. “I think [Sporting director Hugo] Viana has shown that he's very willing to spend in January, which is a very un-Man City thing to do.

“I don't think the big, (expensive) players come in. Elliot Anderson has been linked. Mark Guehi has been linked as well. Guehi's possible. It is possible. I don't know if that will happen, but it's possible. I'm not sure if Guehi is sure (about his future).

“I think he doesn't immediately walk into the City side if everyone's fit, but if Gvardiol is out for months, Marc Guehi might be like, ‘Well I'll go start for Man City now for the next few months’ and he would do. He'd start at left centre-back if Gvardiol is injured.

“There's potential for that because obviously his contract’s up in the summer. City might offer £35m-£40m, they agree it now and that gets done.

“We need homegrown players as well with Ake and Stones potentially leaving as well (in the summer). It's a very sensible addition if you get someone like him in, a really smart centre back.

What transfer business could Man City complete in January?

McInerney added: “I think City would ideally like to sign some players in January if they could do, but I don't know if the market will let them do that.

“Elliot Anderson seems a likely name for the summer for City to go for, but you just can't get him in January. [Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos] Marinakis would ask for about £150m, because he's him, and I don't think Elliot Anderson would want to leave in January. I just don't think you'd feel comfortable doing that. I think it's too messy to leave Forest in January.

“There could be names I don't know of, players that we don't know of (who join City this month). Who would have predicted Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez, Vitor Reis and [Omar] Marmoush at the start of last season coming to Man City, a random bunch of names. It was a weird January.

“Some will go on loan, some come into the squad. We'll see, but I think it's possible for one more (arrival) other than Semenyo.”

McInerney has also shared his thoughts on Semenyo and has explained what he would bring to Guardiola’s side should his transfer to the Etihad Stadium be finalised.

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