How Guehi's composure after Liverpool transfer collapse convinced Man City to sign him

Marc Guehi’s path to Manchester City ran through a transfer collapse that would have tested the resolve of most players. Five months before completing his £20m move to the Etihad, the centre-back had agreed a £35m switch to Liverpool, completed his medical, and was preparing for life at Anfield — only for Crystal Palace to pull the plug at the last minute after failing to find a replacement.

The timing was brutal. Guehi had every reason to feel aggrieved, yet within days of the deal falling through he was back in England training camp, reportedly all smiles, laughing and joking with team-mates as though nothing had happened. It was a small but revealing window into the 26-year-old’s mentality — one that would not go unnoticed.

When City eventually moved for Guehi in January, they were not just buying a technically accomplished defender who had established himself as a Premier League and England regular at Crystal Palace. They were buying someone who had already demonstrated he could absorb a significant professional setback without letting it affect his performance or those around him.

The impact was immediate. City had won just once in six league games before Guehi’s arrival. From his debut until the final day of the 2025/26 season, they went unbeaten in the league, winning 10 of their 15 matches in that spell. He helped stabilise a backline that had looked vulnerable for months, earning a regular starting berth ahead of competition from Ruben Dias, John Stones, Josko Gvardiol, and Abdukodir Khusanov.

The revival was not quite enough to overhaul Arsenal and reclaim the Premier League title, but City did end the season with silverware — a 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, with fellow January signing Antoine Semenyo scoring the winner.

Guehi has carried that form into the 2026/27 campaign. He scored in a 2-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth and followed it with another assured display in a 4-1 victory, helping City bounce back from a Community Shield defeat by Arsenal. The defender who kept his head when a dream move slipped away is now one of Enzo Maresca’s most important players.