Manchester City completed the signing of England defender Mark Guehi from Crystal Palace for 20 million pounds ($26.7 million) on Monday, strengthening the team’s options amid a string of major injuries at centre-back.
Guehi, who was due to become a free agent at the end of the season, was close to joining Liverpool in the summer transfer window, but the deal fell through.
While manager Pep Guardiola was without centre-backs Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones due to injury, City quietly signed him to a five-and-a-half year contract and made the move.
Former Palace captain Guehi became City’s second signing this month, after the winger. Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth Reportedly $87 million.
Guehi, a former Chelsea youth product, has played for Palace since joining from Swansea in 2021 and is now a regular starter for England.
“This move feels like the culmination of all the hard work I’ve put into my career so far,” said Guehi, 25. “I’m now at the best club in England and I’m part of an incredible squad of players. I’m happy to say that.”
City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, said the club was signing a player who has been “one of the best defenders in English football for a long time” and is “in the prime of his career”.
“We feel like we’ve signed a great person who will help us improve,” Viana said. “He’s only 25 years old, but he’s already shown himself to be a leader, a great professional and a hard worker.”
Guehi did not feature in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Palace at Sunderland as he was set to move to City. The timing of the move infuriated Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who said the team felt “abandoned” by the club’s board.
urban reconstruction
Guehi’s arrival comes as City continue their expensive rebuild over the past 12 months, with the club awaiting a major verdict. long litigation Same with the Premier League.
The city spent an estimated $200 million on each project. winter And the summer transfer window of 2025, and this month it has already exceeded $ 100 million.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
