Man City sign Guehi from Palace – what will he bring?

City of Manchester have completed the signing of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi for £20m.

The England defender, who has been linked with some of Europe’s top clubs, almost signed for Liverpool last summer and was out of contract at the end of the current season.

Guehi completed a medical on Sunday after agreeing to City’s five-and-a-half-year contract.

Since joining Palace from Swansea in 2021, the Chelsea academy graduate has made 188 appearances for the club, making 33 of those appearances this year as they prepared for their first Conference League campaign.

Guehi described his career as “absolutely happy and incredibly proud” of being a City player.

He continued, “This action seems to be the culmination of all the hard work I’ve put in my career.”

Following the injuries to defenders Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, City first began discussions with Guehi, 25, earlier this month.

Rico Lewis, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Max Alleyne, three players under 21, were a part of City’s back four for Saturday’s defeat at neighboring Manchester United, along with 30-year-old Nathan Ake. At half-time, fellow 20-year-old Nico O’Reilly took over for Alleyne.

With a score of 2-0, United’s record of defense against them was compromised, and Guehi’s arrival will give City’s backline some much-needed experience and quality.

Guehi ranks among the top 10 in the Premier League center-backs in terms of clean sheets, duels won, aerial duels won, and line-breaking passes based on statistics collected since the start of last year. He leads the league in interceptions, recoveries, and duel success this season.

Guehi’s passing ability is beneficial for City, especially given how well-versed they are in their defensive line.

When City lost to United on Saturday, their central defenders had the most possession and space for the ball, but with John Stones, Gvardiol, and Dias missing, they lacked the talent to exploit this.

Guehi can get his teams up the pitch when they are not forced to do so immediately because he is adept at passing and dribbling with both feet and being a strong ball carrier.

When United added additional defenders to one side, City lacked players who could switch plays or play the ball long. Guehi’s are strong on both feet, which is a strength. Guehi averaged 7.3 long passes per 90 minutes with a 45.7% pass accuracy throughout the entire previous season.

Here, Guehi can be useful for a variety of purposes. He has demonstrated versatility for Palace and England, playing either a left- or right-sided center-half in all three of the back three.

Guehi will feel at ease wherever he is used because City frequently chooses to play with three in possession.

Guehi excels in ground duels on the left side of the pitch, despite not having the best aerial skills.

As City’s attacking full-backs try to press their teams high, he will need to be able to use his body and tackle with both feet after rising up in the opposition half.

In recent weeks, Guardiola has praised Khusanov and Alleyne, but it is obvious that Dias lacks leadership. The young defenders of City will have a guiding voice thanks to Guehi’s experience as a Premier League captain.

Shamoon Hafez, City of Manchester reporter

City of Manchester have signalled their intent with the signings of Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo in this transfer window, but defeat by Manchester United on Saturday has left them seven points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

Both players will continue to strengthen a squad that has been hit by a number of injuries this year, and they will do so for the long term because they have signed five-and-a-half year contracts. Pep Guardiola’s side are still competing on all four fronts.

Guehi and Semenyo chose City out of a plethora of other clubs.

Guehi’s signing is not a knee-jerk reaction or panic buy, according to sources, because of the defense’s problems. He is a player that they have admired for a while and would have pushed to sign in the summer. However, this month saw the conclusion of a deal, which was too appealing to accept.