Marc Guehi has explained why he chose to join Manchester City, despite strong interest from Liverpool and the option of waiting until the summer.
The England international became City’s second January signing after the arrival of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.
Pep Guardiola’s side have now spent heavily again as they continue reshaping the squad following a difficult first half of the season.
Guehi could have waited. His contract at Crystal Palace was nearing its end. And there was a clear path toward a free transfer in the summer.
Liverpool had previously tried to strike a deal, while Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were also monitoring the situation closely.
But circumstances at the Etihad Stadium changed everything. Injuries to John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol have forced Manchester City to act immediately.
The club decided not to take risks and moved early to secure one of the Premier League’s most reliable centre-backs.
For Guehi, the decision became clear after conversations inside the City camp. Guehi explained after his debut (quotes via ESPN):
“I felt from the conversations, through talking with some of the players here, that this was the place for me to improve, to get better and help as much as possible.”
Guehi had conversations with John Stones and Phil Foden, and these two England stars played a key role in shaping his thinking.
The 25-year-old has shared the England setup with both players for years and has known Foden since their U16 days. Guehi added:
“Phil and John, conversations with the manager, conversations with Hugo Viana. It’s been great.”
Those discussions, combined with direct talks with Pep Guardiola, convinced Guehi that joining now was the right move rather than waiting for Liverpool to return in the summer.
Also, Guehi wasted no time making an impact. He went straight into City’s starting XI for the 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, lining up alongside 21-year-old Abdukodir Khusanov.
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