EXCLUSIVE: David Ornstein reveals how Man City got a free run at Marc Guehi

Robin Bairner

• 23 Jan 2026 14:06 GMT
• 5 min read

Exclusive

David Ornstein has lifted the lid on Manchester City’s “magnificent deal” to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, explaining how the transfer was brokered and how the centre-back was persuaded to pick Pep Guardiola’s side.

Guehi’s move to City has been confirmed after weeks of speculation linking the 25-year-old to various top Premier League sides as well as leading European clubs.

He came close to moving to Liverpool in the summer, but the Etihad Stadium will ultimately be his home until June 2031 after completing a £20 million transfer.

Marc Guehi to City ‘looks like a bargain’ – Ornstein

Ornstein has revealed the secrets behind the move while speaking to The Transfers Podcast in conjunction with FootballTransfers.

“It’s an absolutely magnificent signing and exactly what Manchester City need right now. They’ve had a bad start, heavy defeats, and with Guehi coming into a position where they’ve suffered injuries to Ruben Dias and John Stones, you look at the defensive line they’ve had at times and think it’s incredibly inexperienced and raw. Not what you’d expect from Manchester City,” Ornstein explained.

Current ETV

Marc Guéhi

D (CL)

Man City

Marc Guéhi

D (CL)

Man City

€43.6M

ETV Range

€39.2M - €47.9M

View full profile

“So Guehi is a timely arrival. As soon as they can get him into the team, they will. That explains why City stepped it up, pushed so hard, and were willing to put the finances down. I actually thought it was going to be a higher transfer fee. To end up at £20m looks like a bargain.

“You do need to factor in the salary. From what we’ve heard, it’s been reported at around £300,000 a week, maybe more with bonuses. City say it’s lower than that, so we need to be balanced. There will also be significant agent commissions. The package is not £20 million in total.”

How City got a clear run at Guehi

Liverpool were among the teams ready to pounce on Guehi as a free agent in the summer, but the Anfield club were certainly not alone. City, however, were the only team willing to pay a transfer fee at this juncture of the season.

“It sounds like Liverpool moved after the Community Shield, and at that point Palace weren’t ready to do business,” he said, reflecting on the Anfield club missing out on the player in the summer.

“The view was that the price last summer represented a market opportunity with a year to go. At this point, with four months of football left, they either couldn’t or chose not to do it, hoping he’d be available at the end of the season.

“They were going to come back, and I think strongly in the summer of 2026.

“Arsenal would have been in the mix. Bayern Munich absolutely wanted him, especially on a free. Barcelona had some interest too. Atletico Madrid and others, although Atletico wouldn’t have got there financially.

“I heard he was due to visit Bayern and Barcelona, which he’s entitled to do under the Bosman rule, as a free agent in the summer of 2026. But it didn’t materialise because City moved to close it out.

“Manchester City then had a clear run at it. Crystal Palace were left with the dilemma: take money now or lose him for nothing in May. Oliver Glasner complained about losing his captain, but he had him throughout this winless run. I love Guehi as a player, but it’s an understandable trade-off. Palace are trying to reinforce.”

Guehi wanted move to the North West

Transfer insider Duncan Castles revealed that City always had a crucial advantage in the race to sign the England centre-back.

“When asking why he chose Manchester City now, rather than waiting for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or another European giant, what I was told is that it was always going to be a move to the North West if a big club there came in. A lot of his friends live there. That was his preference,” the transfer insider revealed.

“He was ready to go to Liverpool. Manchester City were a very good fit, so he chose that option when it came about. They emphasised his character: super focused on football, family man, church very important to him, and a positive dressing-room presence.

“So you’re getting top-level quality on the pitch and someone you can bring into the squad knowing he’ll be an excellent fit as a person as well.”

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