Manchester City have reached an agreement in principle to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi for £20 million during the January transfer window.
The Premier League champions moved swiftly for the 25-year-old England international after defensive injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias left Pep Guardiola’s side short of options at the back.
Guehi, whose contract with Palace expires in the summer, has long attracted interest from Europe’s top clubs. He was strongly linked with a move away last year and was close to joining Liverpool during the previous transfer window.
Earlier this month, BBC Sport revealed that Manchester City were exploring a deal for the centre-back, with negotiations intensifying over the past 24 hours.
The report added that Guehi is expected to complete his move to the Etihad Stadium later this month on a long-term contract. While personal terms are yet to be finalised, they are not expected to pose any major obstacles.
The potential acquisition follows City’s recent signing of Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo for £62.5 million, further underlining the club’s ambition in the current transfer window.
Meanwhile, the development comes amid confirmation from Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner that he will step down at the end of the season. Glasner, however, dismissed any link between his decision and Guehi’s impending move, stressing that the choice to leave had been made months earlier.
“This decision has zero impact on Marc’s situation,” Glasner said. “My decision was already taken some time ago.”
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