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Manchester City have delivered a blow to Liverpool after officially confirming the £20 million signing of England international Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace yesterday, snatching away a player the Reds nearly secured just four months ago. The 25-year-old centre-back has penned a five-and-a-half-year contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2031, marking City’s second January signing following Antoine Semenyo’s £64 million arrival from Bournemouth. For Liverpool supporters still nursing wounds from September’s collapsed transfer saga, Guehi’s move to their title rivals represents a painful twist of the knife.
While Liverpool languish 14 points off the pace, Manchester City sits just seven points behind Arsenal in what remains a compelling title race despite their recent stumbles. City’s derby defeat to Manchester United on Saturday was compounded by defensive frailties that Guehi’s arrival should immediately address.
There were plenty of Reds fans who voiced their displeasure at Liverpool not competing for the transfer this winter with a £20 million fee looking like a bargain for the former Palace skipper.
However, the Athletic’s James Pearce has revealed it’s not quite as clear cut. The journalist that reveals that Guehi’s agents received a “significant” commission while the wages alone equal roughly £85m over the duration of his deal at the Etihad:
“Talk of Guehi only costing £20m is disingenuous. Sources familiar with the deal, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, have told The Athletic that City paid Guehi’s agents a significant commission and that the player’s wage demands were understood to be around £300,000 per week. Over the course of a five-and-a-half year contract that represents an outlay on salary alone of £85.8m. (City say Guehi’s wages are significantly lower than that).”
“Liverpool didn’t view that overall package as a smart market opportunity, given the club’s self-sustaining business model. It would have proved problematic in terms of their wage structure at a time when sporting director Richard Hughes is trying to negotiate a number of contract renewals.”
For Liverpool supporters, the questions will linger: Should the club have acted in January when Guehi became available? Did the financial calculations prioritize balance sheets over trophies? And most painfully—will they watch Guehi lift a Premier League title, this time in sky blue rather than red?
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