**Manchester City’s new signing Marc Guehi has broken his silence on a failed transfer to Liverpool last summer before he left Crystal Palace for £20 million last week.**
Guehi has bolstered a depleted backline at the Etihad Stadium in the wake of injuries to Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, with John Stones also yet to recover from a leg injury he sustained in early December 2025.
City returned to winning ways on Saturday as goals from Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo secured a much-needed 2-0 win for Guardiola’s side, who were handed a monumental favour from cross-town rivals Manchester United on Sunday after the Red Devils inflicted a 3-2 defeat on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The jury remains out on whether this new-look Manchester City side that has been heavily revamped following the appointment of Hugo Viana as director of football, with Guardiola and co still vying for silverware on four fronts this term.
The Blues have bolstered their attack and defence with the shrewd acquisitions of Semenyo and Guehi in January for a combined fee of £84 million. Guehi made a strong start to his Manchester City career at the weekend as he led the Blues to a shutout on his full debut.
In conversation with the media after City’s 2-0 win over Wolves, Guehi opened up on his failed transfer to Liverpool last summer. “It was very close. The medical was pretty much done and then it got pulled last minute,” the England international said, as quoted by [Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15496233/Marc-Guehi-reveals-stopped-35m-Liverpool-summer-Manchester-City-Crystal-Palace.html).
Despite an eleventh hour collapse of a dream move to Anfield, Guehi put his head down and enjoyed a stellar first half of the 2025-26 season at Selhurst Park. “My mindset is what will be, will be. It’d be doing (Crystal) Palace a disservice if I was acting a certain way because the club’s given me everything,” Guehi added.
“The least I can do is show up to work every day, shut my mouth, keep my head down. I think that’s most important. I’m really confident Manchester City is the place to improve, grow as a player. I’m glad I could get over the line.”
With Dias out until mid February and Gvardiol set to be on the sidelines till April or May, Guehi will be a regular starter for Guardiola in the months to come. “I’m just glad I got to move to Manchester City over the line,” Guehi added.
“Obviously, it’s not easy leaving a club I’ve been at for so long. They (Crystal Palace) have done so much for me and I’m eternally grateful. But I’m just really glad I can be here (at Manchester City). I’m glad I’ve joined this fantastic club.
“We’ve been talking for quite a while and obviously talked with different clubs. I felt from conversations, talking with some players here, this was the place for me to improve, to get better and just help as much as possible.”
After leading Manchester City to a clean sheet on his full debut against Wolves, Guehi will be watching from the sidelines when the Blues face Galatasaray in a monumental UEFA Champions League group-stage clash at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night – with the Englishman ineligible to feature in Europe for City until the knockout stages.