Manchester City are set to confirm the signing of Antoine Semenyo any day now.
The Bournemouth winger has played his last game for the South Coast outfit, getting a fairytale ending against Tottenham Hotspur with a stunning last-minute strike to seal three points.
antoine-semenyo-bournemouth
It was confirmed by The Athletic journalist David Ornstein that the Ghanaian would have his medical at the club on Thursday, and will sign a five-and-a-half-year contract.
As for the fee, the Citizens will pay £62.5m upfront and a further £1.5m in add-ons, using slightly more favourable payment terms.
Man City record signings
However, the 26-year-old might not be the only player coming into the Etihad Stadium this winter, amidst a host of injury issues at centre-back.
Man City target new centre-back
Pep Guardiola’s side have been hit with a real injury crisis at the back in recent days.
John Stones is a long-term absentee, with Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol also now sidelined for a considerable amount of time.
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That means City are down to bare bones in defence with youngster Max Alleyne having to be recalled from a loan spell with Watford. He even started the draw with Brighton on Wednesday evening.
To combat that, City might well dip into the transfer market. A recent report from The Mirror claims that City ‘believe they have beaten’ Liverpool in the race to sign Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi this winter.
marc-guehi-crystal-palace
There is plenty of speculation surrounding Guehi’s future at Selhurst Park, with his contract set to expire in the summer. Both sides ‘have been in extensive talks’ to sign him, but the East Mancunian outfit are confident of concluding a £30m deal 'in the coming days'.
Why Guehi would be a good signing
There is no doubting that Guehi is one of the most talented defenders in the Premier League.
Described as “flawless” by Statman Dave, he is Palace’s captain and seems a shoo-in to start at the World Cup for England this summer.
Marc Guehi scores for England
Thus, if City were able to win the race to sign him this January, it would be a sensational coup for Guardiola’s side, especially given the state of his defensive injuries right now. It has been a busy season already for Guehi, making 32 appearances for the Eagles across five competitions.
However, he has unsurprisingly been a pivotal part of Oliver Glasner’s well-oiled machine. In every Premier League game he’s been available for, he’s played 90 minutes, doing so nine times in other competitions. He’s also chipped in with seven goals and assists.
Perhaps that goal involvement tally highlights the defender’s quality in possession. It is one of his biggest strengths, with Guehi averaging 5.65 progressive passes per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 9% of Premier League defenders.
Off the ball, one of his standout underlying stats is the 4.4 ball recoveries he makes each game, which ranks him in the top 12%.
Guehi key stats in 25/26 PL
Stat (per 90)
Passes into final third
Progressive passes
Ball recoveries
Aieral duel win rate
Progressive carries
Stats from FBref
If City are to get this deal over the line, it is certainly reminiscent of the one that they are about to complete to sign Semenyo. He is another Premier League-ready star who can likely slot into Guardiola’s side seamlessly.
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He’s been sensational for the Cherries this season. In 20 games in the top flight, the Ghanaian star has found the back of the net ten times and assisted three. That included his wonder-strike against Spurs, which gave him such a fairytale ending.
The deal to sign Guehi definitely has a similar sort of feeling surrounding it. He is a top-level Premier League player who has, with all due respect, seemingly outgrown his current side and is ready for a move to challenge for trophies on a regular basis.
That certainly feels like it is the case with Semenyo, and it is easy to see how Guehi is in a similar situation. City could be the club that helps push him to the next level, and at just £30m, would be a real bargain for the Mancunian side.
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