Manchester City close in on long-term Liverpool target Marc Guehi

Last Updated on 16 January 2026

Liverpool lost out on Antoine Semenyo, after choosing not to pursue a deal for the former Bournemouth winger in January. Manchester City acted fast and sealed a deal with the Ghanaian already scoring twice in two games for the Citizens.

But despite grabbing one long-term Liverpool target, Manchester City are not fully done with their spending spree in January.

As per reliable reports, they are closing in on another Premier League superstar, who was very close to making the switch to Merseyside only a few months ago…

Manchester City “advance” on Marc Guehi after making breakthrough in talks

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City are fast advancing after making a huge offer in the last 12 hours.

This is a major breakthrough for the Manchester-based club. They wanted to bring in an experienced defender after losing the likes of Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and John Stones to injuries.

Initially, it was not expected that Marc Guehi would want to move in January as his contract expires at the end of the season. That would mean more flexibility for the 25-year-old and more options to choose from. However, City’s offer has clearly made Guehi re-think his plans.

A bid in the region of £30 million is expected soon from City to Crystal Palace.

Losing out on Marc Guehi big loss for Arne Slot and Liverpool

Liverpool came ever so close to signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace on deadline day in the summer window.

Unfortunately for the Reds, the deal fell through after the Palace hierarchy decided to keep ahold of Guehi for another season. Over the course of the 2025/26 campaign, Slot’s side has been dealt a number of injury blows and form concerns in their defence, too.

Giovanni Leoni, brought in from Parma, was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. Joe Gomez’s struggles with injuries are well documented, too. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate has had a tough season with form.

More recently, Liverpool’s Conor Bradley was ruled out with a season-ending injury, too. If the Reds don’t bring in a defender or other reinforcements, they could risk losing out on their season’s ambitions.

For now, a move for Guehi from Liverpool seems unlikely. Richard Hughes and co. wanted to wait until the summer to entice the Palace captain with a lucrative offer but it remains to be seen whether they spring into action given City’s offer.