Liverpool aren't the only big losers in Marc Guehi saga as Man City clinch transfer coup - The Mirror

Manchester City are set to make Marc Guehi their second January capture after stealing a march on a host of top clubs who were hoping to sign the Crystal Palace star for free

You could probably hear the groans from Merseyside at Crystal Palace's Beckenham training ground when Oliver Glasner confirmed Marc Guehi was Manchester City-bound in an explosive press conference on Friday afternoon.

As much as Crystal Palace fans were rueing the news that their captain and star defender was on the move, Liverpool fans would also have been cursing after seeing their hopes of signing the sought-after Guehi - who came so close to a switch to Anfield back in the final hours of the summer transfer window - dashed for a second and final time.

It was expected that Liverpool would make a fresh play for Guehi, 25, in 2026 given their defensive deficiencies this year, though it soon became clear such a move would not materialise in this window. But Manchester City have now gazumped them to ensure that cannot happen full stop - and it's not just Liverpool who should have regrets.

Because every team at the top of the Premier League should have been on Guehi's tail if he was available this month for the £30million that City seem to have plundered him for.

Liverpool's need for a centre-half - and interest in Guehi - make them a no-brainer when you consider the winners and losers from Friday's big news but City have got one over on half the Premier League, not just Arne Slot's men.

Arsenal retained a long-term interest in Guehi, although, in truth, they are already rich with quality defenders. But Guehi improves every other one of the Premier League's elite, including his former club, Chelsea.

The Blues might bank a small windfall due to the sell-on clause they included in the deal that took Guehi to Selhurst Park, but he would surely get into Liam Rosenior's team, even though they also boast a significant number of defenders.

The same for Manchester United, who are the latest team to court Nottingham Forest's Murillo. Whether Guehi would have joined United given there are no guarantees of Europe are another matter, but they are at least in with a better chance than last year. And signing a defender of Guehi's ilk would have been a genuine statement.

Palace will see Guehi's exit as a double-edged sword: they lose their one of their most influential figures at a far from ideal time but bank a reasonable sum for a player who had effectively already committed to leaving for free. Do the pros outweigh the cons?

Wherever you stand on that, Manchester City are the big winners here; they've landed a player whose stock would surely have only gone up after the World Cup, where he is a guaranteed starter for England, for an absolute bargain fee. In contract - and considering he is still yet to hit his prime - Guehi would have commanded a premium price. Maybe close to three times as much as what City will actually pay for his services.

A penny, too, for Mikel Arteta's thoughts. With Liverpool all but out of the title race and Arsenal in a strong position, he's had to watch Manchester City go out and sign two of the Premier League's best players this season in Guehi and Antoine Semenyo.

Even with Arsenal's strength in depth in defence, the Gunners boss will be green with envy. And so should the other managers of the Premier League's elite when it comes to Guehi.

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