Man City Have Already Lined Up Next Big Transfer Target After Marc Guehi

Manchester City have already identified their next big-money transfer target as they finalise a deal to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, with Pep Guardiola being a huge admirer.

City have agreed to pay an initial £20 million for the services of Guehi, who was strongly linked with a move to Liverpool before a deal collapsed on deadline day.

The club are believed to be in advanced talks to sign the England international, with Oliver Glasner confirming that the centre-back was" in the final stages" of a transfer and would not feature against Sunderland on Saturday.

Guehi's arrival will tip City's spending to just under £450 million in the last 12 months.

But the Citizens are already planning their next big transfer, according to a report from TeamTalk, which suggests the Manchester club planned to sign three key Premier League targets for 2026.

Manchester City's spending since January 2025. Image credit: Sky Sports

Antoine Semenyo, who joined Pep Guardiola's side from Bournemouth this month in a deal worth £64 million, was said to feature on that list alongside Marc Guehi and Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Since joining Forest from Newcastle in 2024, Anderson has been one of the Premier League's standout performers.

Back in August, he was rewarded with a first senior call-up to the England squad, and has since been capped six times under Thomas Tuchel, who looks likely to give him a chance at this summer's World Cup.

The 23-year-old has attracted interest from a number of clubs of late, including Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

He has also been publicly praised by a number of high-profile managers, including Pep Guardiola, who believes Anderson is an 'ideal fit' for his tactical system as he can operate as either a deep-lying playmaker or box-to-box No. 8.

Speaking after City's 2-1 win over Forest in December, Guardiola mentioned Anderson in his post-match interview, saying: “All the players have pace, ability. Gibbs-White – what a player. And Anderson. They are a fantastic team.”

Guardiola is a huge admirer of Anderson. Image credit: Getty

Whether City will make a move in January is unclear, but they will go after the England international in an 'aggressive manner', according to TeamTalk.

The report adds: "That deal for Anderson is expected to have to wait until the summer, although Man City’s current activity in the market raises the question of whether they might even attempt to move sooner."