Revealed: Manchester City beat over five competitors for Marc Guehi’s signature | OneFootball

A detailed report has revealed that Manchester City saw off stiff competition from a range of domestic and European rivals for new signing Marc Guehi.

Guehi completed a £20 million move to the Etihad Stadium on Monday, putting pen to paper on a five-and-a-half year deal that will see him earning around £300,000-a-week.

The England international’s arrival to the north-west comes in the wake of injuries to Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol in City’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea earlier this month, with John Stones also sidelined with an issue he sustained in early December.

City saw off stiff competition from a range of clubs for Guehi’s signature after the defender came close to joining Liverpool last summer, only for a move to break down at the eleventh hour owing to Palace’s inability to find a suitable replacement for their former club captain.

A wide-ranging report by The Athletic has revealed that Manchester City saw off competition from at least five domestic and European rivals to their second January signing – after securing the arrival of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth for £64 million.

Liverpool were believed to be frontrunners for Guehi’s signature come the summer of 2026, when the centre-half would have become a free agent, but the Reds were not interested in a January swoop. Moreover, the financial constraints of a mid-season move put Liverpool off and they pulled out of the race in the end.

Chelsea also vested an interest to bring their academy graduate back to west London, though that was before they recalled Trevoh Chalobah on a season-long loan deal. There is some debate over whether the Blues are owed a share of the £20 million fee City have paid Palace, owing to a potential sell-on clause.

Guehi is understood to have had reservations over a move to Arsenal, who boast a strong centre-half roster. Moreover, the Gunners were hesitant to do a January deal owing to financial reasons and the club’s desire to make Piero Hincapie’s loan deal permanent.

It has also been revealed that Guehi initially preferred a move abroad after his Liverpool transfer fell through last summer. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid were interested but could not afford him, with Real Madrid exiting the race early doors.

Bayern Munich are said to have presented a very attractive offer to Guehi, who has conversations with England captain Harry Kane and former Palace teammate Michael Olise over life in the German capital. However, the Bundesliga giants were also aiming for a summer move.

City’s desperation and a strong desire from club officials to close a deal in January saw the Blues cough up £20 million on the table – a figure deemed a bargain by executives at the Etihad Stadium for Guehi, who Palace valued at £65 million in January.

Guardiola will be delighted to get his hands on one of England’s best defenders as he enters the prime of his career, with Stones and Nathan Ake increasingly likely to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.