Manchester City are weighing up a move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi after Josko Gvardiol sustained a broken shinbone in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea. The Premier League champions are short of centre-back options, with Rúben Dias also injured and John Stones already sidelined.
Gvardiol, 23, suffered a tibial fracture to his right leg and will undergo surgery later this week. City have not given a timeline for his return, but the injury is expected to rule him out for an extended period, likely the rest of the season. The Croatia international posted on social media that he would “fight every day to return stronger”.
City’s defensive crisis has prompted interest in Guéhi, who is out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of the season. Crystal Palace are expected to demand around £40m for the 25-year-old England international, a £5m increase on the price quoted to Liverpool last summer.
However, Guéhi may be reluctant to move mid-season, as doing so would forfeit a sizeable signing-on fee available to him as a free agent in June. He is also keen to secure regular playing time ahead of this summer’s World Cup under England manager Thomas Tuchel. Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are among other clubs monitoring his situation.
