Surprise report claims Arsenal are ready to hijack Man City's transfer move for Marc Guehi | OneFootball

Arsenal are reportedly keeping an eye on Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi as they’re ready to enter the race for his signature.

It is not yet entirely clear if the Gunners would move for Guehi now or wait until he becomes a free agent in the summer, but it seems there is genuine interest.

Manchester City look the favourites to land the England international this January, but it seems Arsenal will be alongside the likes of Liverpool as among the player’s suitors too, according to the Daily Mirror.

As the report says, Guehi notably came close to joining Liverpool in the summer, whereas he’s now a top target to help Man City find cover for injured defenders Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.

Do Arsenal really need to sign Marc Guehi?

It must be said, however, that it’s hard to see why Arsenal would need to sign Guehi given their incredible strength in depth in defence already.

Marc Guehi lining up ahead of Crystal Palace’s game against Newcastle (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta has one of the best centre-back pairings in world football in the form of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, while he has very capable backup options there in Piero Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera, and versatile players like Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber and Ben White who could also fill in there.

Guehi will surely only leave Palace for a club where he’ll be first choice, and that seems more likely at City or Liverpool rather than at Arsenal.

How could Guehi transfer impact the title race?

It could be that Arsenal have one eye on their title race with City as they consider a move for Guehi.

AFC could go eight points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side with a win over Liverpool this evening, and a signing like Guehi could change the equation.

If City have to go through this difficult period without two important defenders, they’ll surely drop more points, whereas a top performer like Guehi could help keep them in the race.

Perhaps Arsenal will feel there’s room for Guehi and that the added bonus of keeping him away from the Etihad Stadium could also make the deal well worth their while.