Arsenal might be leading the charge at the Premier League summit, although Manchester City are looking ominous again, not least with Antoine Semenyo now set to be thrown into the mix.
It all went a bit stale last season, yet Pep Guardiola looks reinvigorated in 2025/26, sparked by the delights of Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland in attack.
An already stellar cast will then be supported or rivalled by man of the moment, Semenyo, with the Citizens successfully fending off rival interest from Manchester United to all but seal the £65m signing of the in-form Ghanaian.
Man-City-Semenyo-Haaland-Foden-Cherki-Doku
With ten league goals already this season at Bournemouth, the 25-year-old jumps ship as arguably the "best winger in the country", in the view of pundit Chris Waddle, kickstarting what could be another marquee window for Guardiola's side.
Man City plotting another high profile signing after Semenyo
Whether Guardiola is here or not next season, amid talk of Enzo Maresca being lined up as a summer replacement, the Etihad side look well-placed to remain a real force both domestically and in Europe, such is the depth of quality in the current ranks.
That being said, if the Catalan coach is to bow out on a high, there are still key short-term issues to be solved, not least with the 2023 treble winners facing something of an injury crisis at centre-back.
Ruben Dias is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines, while Josko Gvardiol is also set to undergo surgery, ensuring that Guardiola and co could dip into the market again this month.
Indeed, as reported by talkSPORT, the Etihad side are considering a move for Crystal Palace star, Marc Guehi, with the Englishman viewed as a top target to ease their current concerns, having been described as a 'leading option'.
The report suggests that Palace would be open to selling mid-season, rather than risk losing the 25-year-old for nothing this summer, albeit with manager Oliver Glasner hinting that it would take a "massive offer" for City to get their man.
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi
Guehi, as is worth remembering, was agonisingly close to joining Liverpool on a £35m deal on deadline day over the summer.
Why Guehi could be the next Man City captain
While it is injury that has brought a move for Guehi into sharper focus, there is a sense that City are still in something of a transition, with the ageing core of Guardiola's previously imperious squad slowly being phased out.
Of the current crop, the likes of John Stones and Nathan Ake are likely to face uncertain futures amid their limited game time, while current captain Bernardo Silva could finally be on the move, amid reports of interest from Turkish outfit Galatasaray.
It would be a bold decision to make, but should Guehi arrive this month, he could be primed to take on the captain's armband from the Portuguese genius over the summer, having been the main man at Palace in recent seasons.
Market Value - PL CB's
Player
William Saliba
Gabriel
Josko Gvardiol
Micky van de Ven
Cristiano Romero
Ruben Dias
Leny Yoro
Murillo
Marc Guehi
via Transfermarkt
Indeed, the former Chelsea defender skippered the Eagles to their first-ever FA Cup triumph last term, beating Guardiola's men in the showpiece, with Guehi's "leadership qualities" having been highlighted by ex-interim England boss, Lee Carsley.
The in-demand centre-back was previously named captain of the Three Lions' U21 side under Carsley, with former Palace boss Roy Hodgson also tipping him to be a "future captain" of the senior set-up in the recent past.
Despite his relative youth, Guehi is clearly a respected and trusted figure for both club and country, ensuring he could be the man to lead City into potentially a new post-Guardiola era in 2026.
In the short-term, too, he would be the perfect solution to slot in smoothly to Guardiola's backline, not least considering the aforementioned Gvardiol is deemed to be the second-most similar centre-back to him in the Premier League this season, as per FBref.
Guehi vs Gvardiol
That likeness no doubt stems from Guehi's attacking threat and ball-playing prowess, notably ranking in the top 10% of his peers for assists, as well as in the top 7% for both progressive carries and progressive passes per 90.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
As hailed by journalist Bobby Manzi, he truly is a "monster" of a centre-back.
Largely deployed in a back three at Selhurst Park, yet also typically deployed in a back four for England, the adaptable talent is the ideal modern-day defender, with it no surprise that he is likely to have the pick of Europe's top clubs in 2026.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi celebrates scoring their second goal
Rather than waiting to engage in a transfer tug-of-war this summer, however, City - as they have done with Semenyo - could strike early to get their potential future captain.
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[Better move than Semenyo: Man City dreaming of signing £85m "warrior"](https://www.footballfancast.com/better-move-than-semenyo-man-city-dream-of-elliot-anderson-transfer/ "Better move than Semenyo: Man City dreaming of signing £85m "warrior"")
Manchester City are dreaming of another big move this January, with Antoine Semenyo set to be confirmed at the Etihad.