Manchester City will hope to ride the crest of a wave as they plot a route into the Premier League race, and the Citizens may also be preparing for a fight with Liverpool to sign a lucrative international at zero cost.
Manchester City look to kick on after derby victory
The Etihad Stadium paid witness to some raucous scenes last weekend as Manchester City swept aside Manchester United to move within six points of Liverpool at the top of the table.
Before the match, Erling Haaland urged his new teammates to take on added responsibility after a busy transfer window that saw his side lose a number of influential figures. When it mattered, they all stepped up to deliver a stirring display.
pep-guardiola-ruben-amorim
Speaking after his side recorded a convincing triumph, Pep Guardiola reserved special praise for his Norwegian talisman and homegrown hero Phil Foden, who both got themselves on the scoresheet.
Starting with Haaland, the former Barcelona manager said: "Erling has been incredible since the start but this season he is better than ever. I would say better than the Treble year. He's dynamic and I don't judge him for the clearance, we want him to score goals and to help us."
Later, he added on Foden: "We missed him so much and the season before he was the best player in the Premier League so we need him, he has a work ethic. Phil is the core, the heart of the club, from the academy and he loves City. To have him back is good news."
With 2026 not too far in the distance, Manchester City are set to block interest from Al Nassr in a £112 million move for Phil Foden, and they now have their eye on one of his international teammates.
Man City ready to up the ante to land Marc Guehi in 2026
According to The Mirror, Manchester City are huge admirers of Marc Guehi, planning a move and will throw everything at landing him on a free transfer in 2026, with Crystal Palace unwilling to sanction his exit in the January window.
Despite Liverpool's well-documented interest in the former Chelsea man alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Juventus, the Citizens are hopeful they can secure his services without having to pay a transfer fee, teeing up the saga of next summer.
Labelled a "monster in defence" by Bobby Manzi, Guehi has handled himself exceptionally well despite being at the centre of a failed move to Anfield on Deadline Day, even scoring once in seven appearances across all competitions.
Guardiola's backline has been altered following the departures of Manuel Akanji and Kyle Walker, and there may be more movement to come as they step up their efforts to land Guehi.
It remains to be seen who will win the battle for his signature, with Barca and Real described as ready to move. But regardless, Manchester City seem ready to go all-in given the lucrative possibility of signing a reliable Premier League performer.