Manchester City Targeting Crystal Palace Captain Marc Guehi As Part Of Defensive Rebuild

Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi is reportedly attracting major interest from Manchester City as part of a defensive rebuild planned at the Etihad.

Premier League champions City have been on a dreadful recent run, losing eight of their last 11 in all competitions.

A big reason for that has been their defensive frailties, with many believing they need a complete overhaul at the back.

And according to one source, Pep Guardiola’s top defensive targets.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Manchester United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown has said Guehi “ticks a lot of boxes” for Guardiola.

Guehi, 24, has made more than 100 Premier League appearances for Palace, and is now an established senior international.

Marc Guehi Could Solve Manchester City’s Defensive Woes

The defender played a key role in England’s defence at Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate. He then kept his place under interim boss Lee Carsley, and has 22 caps so far.

Guehi’s contract situation is also favourable for City. By the summer, he will have just one year left on his current deal, meaning plenty of top clubs are keeping tabs on him.

Liverpool and Newcastle are also thought to hold an interest, but it’s City that look most likely to make a move.

In his interview with Football Insider, Brown explained why.

He said: “They want to make big changes to their defensive line.

“Kyle Walker has been a concern, they’ve got a problem with John Stones because how many games has he missed? Dias has been stable for them but he’s missed games.

“We’re talking then about three of the back four, then we go to left-back where Gvardiol was doing well, but all of a sudden isn’t so reliable defensively.

“One player I’m told they’re very interested in is Marc Guehi, from Crystal Palace.

“He’s improved consistently at Palace and he’s still getting better and better, he’s intelligent in possession, he’s not the tallest but he deals well with his opponents, and he’s England’s starting centre-back which counts for a lot.

As well as his footballing talents, Guehi’s mentality and presewnce in the dressing room is something Mick Brown thinks will factor heavily into City’s interest.

“He gives you 100% every week, he’s a leader on the pitch with his actions and he sets the standards for his teammates to follow,” added Brown.

“So he ticks plenty of boxes for City and for Guardiola, he’s a very strong option for them.”