Marc Guehi sheds light on ‘pretty much done’ Liverpool transfer with one reason for Man City decision | OneFootball

Manchester City newbie Marc Guehi has shed light on his failed move to Premier League rivals Liverpool after a deal fell through in the summer.

Guehi has been one of the Premier League’s most sought-after players over the past year, with Liverpool and Man City among those vying for his services.

In the summer, the England international came close to joining Liverpool as the Premier League holders agreed a deal worth around £35m on deadline day. However, Crystal Palace opted to pull the plug at the eleventh hour, as they did not have enough time to secure a suitable replacement.

This was a blow for Liverpool as they have been woeful defensively this season, while it left them at risk of missing out completely as they have faced heavy competition for his services in recent weeks.

European sides were also mentioned as possible destinations for Guehi, but he has settled on a move to Man City, who stepped up their interest after Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol suffered injuries.

Guehi impressed in his debut for Man City at the weekend as he helped Pep Guardiola’s side keep a clean sheet in the 2-0 win against Wolves.

Now, Guehi has commented on his failed move to Liverpool, which was “very close” to going through.

“Very close,” Guehi said when asked how close he came to joining Liverpool in the summer.

“The medical was pretty much done and then it got pulled at the last minute. So, quite close!

“But I was still OK. My mindset’s always, ‘Move on to the next one’.

“And also that what will be, will be. God’s got a plan for me. Just move on to the next one and focus on what I could do for Palace.”

In the summer, there was a theme of players spitting their dummies out to force a transfer, with Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa the prime examples.

Guehi, meanwhile, has remained professional this season and he has revealed why he opted to keep his head down.

He added: “It would be doing Palace a disservice if I was acting a certain way because that club has given me everything.

“So, the least I can do is show up to work every single day, shut my mouth and keep my head down. That’s the most important thing.

“It is not me giving the football club everything — they have given me everything.

“They give me the opportunity to play and support us when things go well and things go bad.”

Guehi has also insisted that he has joined Man City because he feels they will help him “grow as a player”.

“It feels like it’s been going on forever. But I’m just glad that I got this move over the line,” Guehi continued.

“I’m now really confident that this is the place for me to improve and to grow as a player.

“I felt from conversations — through talking with some players here — that this was the place for me to improve and just to help as much as possible.”