Manchester City consider entering transfer battle for Premier League centre-back | OneFootball

Officials at Manchester City are reportedly considering entering into a transfer battle for one of the Premier League’s most in-demand central defenders.

Over the past week, speculation around City’s defensive department has intensified, with two senior players facing potentially decisive moments in their futures.

Manuel Akanji has been at the centre of reports linking him with Galatasaray, while Nathan Ake’s situation remains uncertain following interest from Everton and questions over his role heading further into the new campaign.

Pep Guardiola is preparing his squad for the intensities of the 2025/26 Premier League season while Manchester City balance squad depth with trimmed options and competition for places among stars across domestic and European competition.

While the club have already strengthened defensive options with the arrivals of Abdukodir Khusanov and Rayan Ait-Nouri over the last eight months, the defence could yet take on further changes depending on outgoings.

According to a new claim from the Daily Star, Manchester City will consider joining the transfer battle for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, if both Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake leave the club during the final week of the summer transfer window.

Guehi is already a target for Premier League rivals Liverpool and Tottenham, while Barcelona are also claimed to be holding an interest in the player, who has only a year remaining on his Selhurst Park contract.

From the side of those at the Etihad Stadium, it is explained that the 25-year-old is now being discussed at Manchester City as a potential £35 million target, should both of the aforementioned centre-backs find exit routes in the coming days.

If City do step into the race for Marc Guehi, Liverpool’s long-standing admiration and Tottenham’s new-found ambitions under Thomas Frank make the Premier League race especially fierce, while Barcelona’s presence only complicates matters further.

For Manchester City, the next few days appear critical. Should Galatasaray firm up their move for Akanji and an acceptable proposal arrive for Ake, officials at the Etihad Stadium could accelerate their interest in Guehi to ensure Guardiola is not left short of centre-back options.

With Ruben Dias and John Stones already expected to carry heavy workloads, adding another Premier League-proven defender could be viewed as essential to their ambitions of competing on all fronts.

Equally, Guehi’s contract situation may tempt Palace into cashing in rather than risk losing him for free next summer. For Manchester City, that represents both an opportunity and a challenge – striking at the right time without overpaying, all while managing the uncertainty surrounding their current defensive roster.