If you’re a European heavyweight in need of a centre-back, chances are you’ve been linked with Marc Guehi.
The Crystal Palace skipper is out of contract next summer and won’t be signing a new deal. That’s left the Eagles in a sticky situation. Either they keep Guehi until the summer and lose him for free, or they cash in next month. Liverpool had agreed to pay £35m for the 25-year-old earlier in the year. Chances are no team will match that figure in the New Year.
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Even so, Palace will be reluctant to lose the England international next month. In the midst of a first European campaign in their history, they need their star players to aid their progression in the UEFA Conference League. It’s for that same reason Adam Wharton is unlikely to depart at the midway stage of the season.
Guehi is a different matter entirely, however. The centre-back has a number of suitors pushing to secure his services in 2026. From January 1st, he’s able to agree a pre-contract with overseas sides. Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich have all been credited with an interest.
City to rival Liverpool for Guehi as part of defensive overhaul?
Closer to home, Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Manchester City are also keeping tabs on the Palace star. The Reds had come close to landing Guehi on deadline day in September, only for Palace to pull the plug on the deal at the 11th hour. Guehi stayed put as they failed to land a replacement.
The Reds, in the midst of a dire title defence, are expected to return for Guehi when the transfer window opens. City are expected to challenge their domestic and continental rivals in the race for the defender.
City themselves are expected to undergo a defensive overhaul in the coming months. John Stones’ contract expires in the summer. Nathan Ake’s runs until next year. Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are the only other senior centre-backs on the City books. Vitor Reis, Juma Bah and Abdukodir Khusanov are promising youngster. Pep Guardiola, though, needs experienced heads in a key position.
How does Guehi compare to City’s current centre-backs?
One of the key attributes of any defender in a Guardiola side is their ability to pick out a teammate with ease. City routinely dominate opponents, meaning there is a reliance on the centre-backs to instigate attacks. Dias, for example, ranks fifth for attempted passes (1075) in the Premier League this season. A 92.85% pass accuracy is also the fifth best in the division.
Unsurprisingly, Dias dominates the distribution metrics of City’s senior centre-backs, and target Guehi, as the Comparison Matrix shows. By comparison, the latter actually ranks bottom for both passes per 90 (51.4) and pass accuracy (85.84%). Context, though, is key here.
The Eagles man plays for a Palace team that sees far less of the ball than City. Oliver Glasner’s side rank second bottom for possession (42%). The Cityzens, meanwhile, have the fourth highest return (57.4%). It stands to reason that Guehi is bottom in this area primarily because Palace and City’s style of play is so different.
A fairer reflection of his on-ball ability would be to compare with his England showings. The Three Lions dominated in World Cup qualifying, winning all eight matches on their way to the 2026 showpiece. During his three outings in their qualification campaign, Guehi managed 103.7 passes per 90 and a 93.56% pass accuracy. Proof, then, that he is able to abide by Guardiola’s distribution demands.
Guehi’s range of passing stands out
Crucially, though, is that Guehi’s range of passing would suit City’s desire to get the ball upfield quickly. Indeed, he’s attempting more long balls per 90 (6) than any other City’s senior centre-backs this season, while a 41.11% accuracy is only slightly lower than Dias (41.51%).
For a City side that boast some of the finest attacking players in Europe, Guehi’s ability to pick out a player from distance would enable the Premier League title contenders to quickly transition from defence to attack. This approach has benefitted the Manchester giants, who rank second for counter-attacking goals (6) in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.
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Regardless, on the whole Guehi is a world class defender and interest from City in his services shouldn’t come as a surprise. Rather, it’s a shock that City weren’t in for Guehi sooner. A Premier League and international experienced defender, and one of the best in the division, City’s chances of domestic and continental dominance would increase significantly with the addition of a centre-back of Guehi’s calibre.
With competition rife for Guehi, City need to act quickly if they are to land the defender. Win this race for the Palace skipper, and it could swing the title race in their favour.
