Marc Guehi has officially joined Manchester City, signing from Crystal Palace in a £20 million deal. The England defender is locked in at City until 2031 and jumps straight into a backline that’s been hammered by injuries—Pep Guardiola’s side lost Josko Gvardiol for the rest of the season, and they’re still missing Ruben Dias and John Stones.

The city put out a statement welcoming Guehi, calling the 25-year-old a big addition and confirming he’s signed a five-and-a-half-year contract. Guehi’s journey started at Chelsea. After a standout loan at Swansea City, where he helped them reach the Championship play-off final in 2020-21, he made the switch to Crystal Palace.

This past summer at EURO 2024, Guehi was one of England’s top performers as they made it all the way to the final. Palace handed him the captain’s armband for the 2024-25 season, and he wasted no time making history—he led them to their first-ever major trophy and European qualification by lifting the FA Cup against City last May. A few months later, Palace beat Liverpool at Wembley to win the Community Shield. All told, Guehi played 188 games and scored 11 goals for Palace.

He’s City’s second signing of this transfer window, following Antoine Semenyo’s arrival from Bournemouth, bringing the club’s January spend to £85 million.

Speaking after the move, Guehi said, “I’m really happy and incredibly proud to be a Manchester City player. This feels like the payoff for all the work I’ve put in over the years. I’m now at the best club in England, surrounded by an unbelievable squad. It feels good to say that. I want to grow as both a player and a person, and I know this is the place for it. Football’s given me so much, and to keep developing here is special for my family. I can’t wait to get started—meet my teammates, train hard, learn what the manager wants, and show the fans what I’m about.”

The city’s director of football, Hugo Viana, couldn’t hide his excitement either: “Marc’s been one of the top defenders in England for a while, so we’re thrilled to have him. He’s only 25 but already a leader and a true professional, always looking to get better. He’s strong, smart, and brings tons of energy every game. We’re lucky he chose us. Marc’s coming into his prime, and I think every City fan is eager to see what he can do in sky blue.”

There was nearly a twist last summer—Guehi almost joined Liverpool, but Palace blocked the move at the last minute. Now he joins a City squad still fighting for the Premier League title, sitting seven points behind Arsenal. They’re also on the brink of another Carabao Cup final after a 2-0 first-leg win over Newcastle, and they’re still in the FA Cup. Guehi can’t play in City’s Champions League games against Bodo/Glimt and Galatasaray, but if City makes the knockouts, he’ll be eligible.

Guehi’s City debut should come at home against Wolves on Saturday. He’s ready for it. “This squad has so much experience—guys who’ve played at the top and won everything. There are also some really exciting young players coming through. With Antoine [Semenyo] joining, who’s already proven himself in the Premier League, it just makes the team even stronger. I want to come in, do my part, be one of the lads, and help us get even better.”

Pep Guardiola says he can’t really rest Erling Haaland right now, even though the goals have stopped coming for his star striker. Haaland’s only found the net once in his last seven games—pretty wild considering he had scored 24 in his first 23 matches of the season. No one in the Manchester City squad has played more than him, either.

Haaland’s racked up 30 appearances so far, just behind Tijjani Reijnders, who’s played 31. But when you look at minutes, Haaland’s way ahead—he’s spent 2,480 minutes on the pitch, 239 more than anyone else. Only once did he start on the bench.

The thing is, City don’t have another true striker apart from Haaland. Guardiola would probably turn to Omar Marmoush, but he’s been away at the Africa Cup of Nations. And after missing a penalty in Egypt’s third-place shootout loss to Nigeria, Marmoush likely won’t make it back in time for City’s Champions League game at Bodo/Glimt.

“I don’t think so,” Guardiola said when asked about Marmoush returning. “We need Erling, and we need everyone. I don’t know when Omar will be back, so Erling will play. He’s huge for us. We’re lucky to have him, given everything he’s done.”

He didn’t sound too sure what would happen in the next match. “We’ll see how they recover—physically, mentally. I can sense how they’re feeling.”

On top of that, Phil Foden picked up what looks like a broken hand during the Manchester derby loss, so that’s another headache. City just brought in Antoine Semenyo for £62.5m to strengthen their attack, but he can’t play in the next two Champions League matches—Bodo/Glimt and Galatasaray—because he’s not eligible.

Guardiola’s definitely looking forward to having Marmoush back. “Omar’s an exceptional player. But it wouldn’t be right to blame the missing results against United or anyone else on Omar not being here. That’s not fair to him or to the rest of the guys who show up every day and give everything.”