Manchester City finally won the transfer battle over Liverpool and Chelsea to the signing of £60M Midfield Maestro who’s better than Caicedo and Declan Rice, personal terms reached as Pep Guardiola welcome His Second January signing
Manchester City appears to have identified a potential pathway to lowering the transfer fee they might need to pay Crystal Palace for Marc Guehi during the current transfer window, and this could involve sending one of their own players to Selhurst Park on a temporary basis.
The prospect of a player heading in the reverse direction adds a new element to discussions that have already been influenced by financial considerations and the centre-back’s own wishes about the manner in which he would leave his current club.
Despite ongoing speculation about whether a winter transfer window move is achievable or if the transaction is more probable during the upcoming summer when he would be available without a fee, Manchester City’s desire to acquire Guehi has remained unwavering. Pep Guardiola’s acknowledgment that he remains uncertain about whether additional transactions will occur this month demonstrates both how intricate this potential deal is and the various factors at play.
Crystal Palace, for their part, have maintained a resolute public stance, with manager Oliver Glasner continually emphasizing that only an extraordinary financial proposal coupled with unmistakable intent from Guehi himself to depart would compel the club to consider selling.
Nevertheless, with Manchester City now proactively working to alter the terms of this potential agreement, as Sam Lee has previously documented, incorporating a temporary transfer arrangement for one of their squad members could offer a middle ground that meets the requirements of everyone involved.
Based on intelligence from Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo’ shared on social media platform X, Crystal Palace have expressed interest in bringing Oscar Bobb to the club on a loan arrangement from the Etihad, a move that could contribute to bringing down the price tag attached to Marc Guehi – which is now anticipated to fall somewhere under the £30 million mark.
Additional reports suggest that Guehi is being presented with a financial package worth as much as £20 million as an incentive to see out what remains of his existing Palace agreement, whereas Manchester City are prepared to place him among their top earners at the club to compensate for a portion of what would be paid as a signing-on bonus.
From Guehi’s perspective, it is understood that the England defender would prefer an arrangement that ensures Crystal Palace receives a transfer fee for his services, rather than departing the club without generating any income when his contract expires at the conclusion of the current season.
This situation would demonstrate Manchester City’s readiness to adopt a more adaptable approach in their discussions with their London counterparts, as they target a figure somewhere in the £20–25 million range, while Palace remain hesitant to deviate too significantly from their previous valuation of £30–35 million.
The outcome will also be heavily influenced by the strength of Crystal Palace’s desire to secure Oscar Bobb’s services and whether Manchester City consider his temporary exit to be compatible with their own squad management strategies.
Having already completed the signing of Antoine Semenyo and with defensive injuries continuing to shape their recruitment objectives, City may conclude that constructing a creative agreement represents the most practical approach to finally securing Marc Guehi’s signature in January, rather than taking the chance of losing him to a competing club or postponing the move until the summer transfer window.
