Manchester City have completed the signing of Marc Guéhi from Crystal Palace, with the deal confirmed on 19 January 2026. The England centre-back has moved for an initial fee of £20m, with add-ons and a sell-on percentage also included in the agreement. Guéhi has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, keeping him at the club until 2031. It was City's second signing of the January window, following the £64m capture of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.
City moved for Guéhi after a run of injuries left them short at the back. Rúben Dias, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol were all sidelined at the same time, with Gvardiol out for an extended spell following ankle surgery. City had already earmarked Guéhi as a summer target, but with the 25-year-old entering the final six months of his Palace contract, they accelerated talks in January rather than risk missing out or paying more later. Director of football Hugo Viana said Guéhi "has been one of the best defenders in English football for quite some time now" and is entering the peak years of his career.
For Crystal Palace, it is a significant loss. Guéhi was made club captain in 2024 and led the side to the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2025 — including the FA Cup final win over Manchester City itself, the club he has now joined. With his contract running down, selling in January allowed Palace to recoup a fee rather than lose him for nothing at the end of the season. Head coach Oliver Glasner confirmed the move was in its final stages before it was completed, and Guéhi sat out Palace's match against Sunderland while the deal was finalised.
Guéhi's form made him one of the most sought-after defenders in the Premier League. In the 2024/25 season he made 44 appearances across all competitions for Palace, keeping 14 clean sheets and adding three goals and two assists from centre-back. He has been a regular for England since his senior debut in 2022, starting six of the Three Lions' seven games at Euro 2024, including the final in Berlin.
At City, Guéhi provides immediate cover for a defence stretched by injuries, with the depth to remain a regular starter once Dias, Stones and Gvardiol are all fit again. He was cup-tied for City's Champions League fixture against Bodø/Glimt but was available for the Premier League trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he started and helped City to a 2-0 win and a clean sheet on his debut. The length of his contract suggests City see him as part of their long-term plans at centre-back rather than a short-term injury fix.
Guéhi described the move as "a really special moment" and the culmination of the hard work he has put into his career. Eight months after lifting the FA Cup as Palace captain against Manchester City at Wembley, he now lines up for them instead — one of the more unusual storylines of the January window.