Marc Guehi to undergo Manchester City medical this weekend | OneFootball

Manchester City are expected to finalise an agreement to sign Marc Guehi through a medical check which could take place before the new week is underway.

The Blues have agreed a five-and-a-half year contract with the England international, who is set to follow in the footsteps of Antoine Semenyo and join Manchester City for £20 million in another significant coup for Pep Guardiola.

Ruben Dias is sidelined for another month and Josko Gvardiol is set to be out till April or May after the defensive pair pulled off in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea earlier this month, leaving Guardiola short of options at the back.

City have since recalled academy star Max Alleyne from loan at Watford, with the 20-year-old starting thrice in the last two weeks – against Brighton, Exeter City and Newcastle – as director of football Hugo Viana scouted the January transfer market for reinforcements in defence.

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi was identified by executives at the Etihad Stadium as a potent addition to Manchester City’s depleted backline, with major question marks over the future(s) of John Stones and Nathan Ake ahead of the summer too.

Ake is hardly a reliable stand-in option owing to his questionable fitness record in recent seasons, with Stones still recovering from a leg injury he sustained in early December – amid a growing expectation that the pair will depart Manchester City at the end of the season.

Stones is out of contract in the summer, whereas Ake has been linked with a January exit to bolster his chances of representing Netherlands at this summer’s FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

City will likely hold on to Ake beyond January as they need every bit of help they can get in defence between now and the end of the season, with Guardiola and co still vying for silverware on four fronts.

However, after progressing talks with Guehi and Crystal Palace over a January deal, Manchester City have won the race for the 25-year-old centre-half’s signature after reaching an agreement to sign the Eagles skipper for £20 million next week.

According to the information of Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, Guehi is expected to undergo a Manchester City medical on Sunday ahead of finalising his switch to the Etihad Stadium.

The Ivory Coast born star nearly joined Liverpool for £25 million last summer and as Manchester City expressed an interest to sign the Englishman in January, there remained a belief in some quarters that the defender preferred a switch to Merseyside or even Arsenal – but at the end of the season – when he would be due a major signing-on bonus at his next club.

City will make Guehi their second January acquisition as they plug further loopholes in a newlook side that is still in an embryonic stage of their transition under Viana, who has revamped the first-team ranks since replacing Txiki Begiristain as sporting director in 2025.