Man City could wreck Liverpool’s £35m transfer plans as Pep Guardiola plots last-gasp hijack | OneFootball

Manchester City will no doubt have been scarred by surrendering their Premier League title to Liverpool so meekly last season, and they now appear to be plotting a form of revenge in the transfer market.

The Reds have been strongly linked with a move for Marc Guehi this month, and BBC Sport‘s Sami Mokbel reported last week that Anfield chiefs have been in talks with Crystal Palace over a potential move for the 25-year-old.

Miguel Delaney has claimed that the Merseysiders are prepared to pay a maximum of £35m for the defender, although the Eagles are rigidly sticking to their £45m valuation for their captain.

Man City plotting Guehi transfer hijack

According to the Daily Star, Man City could now muscle into the race to sign the Selhurst Park skipper in the final week of the transfer window if they sell centre-back duo Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake, who’ve been linked with Galatasaray and Everton respectively.

Guehi has been discussed as a potential £35m target at the Etihad Stadium, where he’s viewed as a player with ‘long-term value’ as Pep Guardiola seeks to trim his squad before next Monday’s deadline.

(Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

Guehi only wants Liverpool

In contrast to how Liverpool still seem worryingly light on defensive options, Man City are seemingly trying to address a surplus of options at the back in what must be an enviable luxury for their manager.

However, Reds fans can feel reassured that the Palace captain only wants to join the reigning Premier League champions if he’s to leave Selhurst Park before the transfer window shuts, as reported by Paul Joyce for The Times.

Also, if the Etihad outfit aren’t prepared to go any higher than £35m, they’d probably be knocked back by the Eagles, whose willingness and urgency to sell Guehi will have been lessened by the £67.5m exit of Eberechi Eze to Arsenal over the weekend.

Liverpool should still be in a stronger position than Man City to get a deal done for the 25-year-old in the next week given their greater need for defensive recruitment, although the Merseyside giants are yet to come to the table with a concrete offer.

They must be wary of their rivals down the M62 putting in a bid of their own in the coming days and be prepared to make a move themselves while they still have the chance.