Crystal Palace captain Guéhi nearing £20m switch to Manchester City | OneFootball

Manchester City are closing in on the signing of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guéhi, with a deal now close to being finalised between the two clubs.

City are set to pay an initial £20 million for the England international, with bonuses and a sell-on clause also included in the package. Guéhi is expected to sign a long-term contract running until June 2031 once the move is completed.

The 25-year-old has emerged as a priority target for Pep Guardiola this month following injuries to central defenders Josko Gvardiol and Rúben Dias. Talks with Palace have progressed quickly, and personal terms are not expected to pose any problems.

Guéhi is out of contract in the summer and has long been expected to leave Selhurst Park, with no renewal agreement ever close. Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed on Friday that the defender will not be part of the squad to face Sunderland this weekend, further fuelling expectations of an imminent transfer.

The centre-back has attracted interest from several top European clubs in recent windows and was close to joining Liverpool last summer, completing a medical ahead of a proposed £35m move that ultimately fell through on deadline day.

City have already strengthened this month with the £62.5m signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth and see Guéhi as another key addition as they look to bolster their defensive options for the second half of the season.