Man City weigh up January Marc Guehi transfer as Pep Guardiola bemoans defensive injury crisis after two key players limp out of damaging Chelsea draw

City remain in the hunt for another domestic crown, as the closest challengers to table-topping Arsenal, but are now six points off the pace and level in the standings with in-form Aston Villa.

Guardiola had been hoping to see his side collect another morale-boosting victory when playing host to Chelsea, but late drama there led to the spoils being shared in a 1-1 stalemate. Tijjani Reijnders fired City in front during a dominant first-half display, but the managerless visitors snatched a dramatic equaliser through Enzo Fernandez in the fourth minute of stoppage-time.

City were depleted at the back by the time that goal went in, with Josko Gvardiol being forced off six minutes into the second half. Portuguese centre-half Ruben Dias headed in the same direction late on.

With John Stones already on the sidelines and Nathan Ake’s game time being carefully managed, Guardiola has said of being left short on options at the heart of his back four: “We have a lot [of injuries]. John Stones is missing for I don’t know how many months. Ruben now will be out, Josko will be out. Nathan, always we know with Nathan he cannot play regularly. It’s the situation.

“Stay strong and we will find a solution. The spirit is there and will be there. Of course I have concerns. Have you seen the bench today? Four players from the academy and now we will have more. We don’t have players.”

With that in mind, City are said to be turning their attention towards the transfer market. BBC Sport reports on how England international Guehi is now registering on Guardiola’s radar.

City will wait on medical updates regarding Dias and Gvardiol before deciding whether or not to formalise their interest in Guehi. It is claimed that a move for the 25-year-old “should not be discounted” as those at the Etihad Stadium seek to ensure that they are not left light in important areas of the field.

Alongside their Premier League title endeavours, City also remain in contention for Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup honours. They still have seven games to come in January across those four competitions.

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Guehi would help to add further depth to Guardiola’s ranks in the present, while becoming a long-term centre-half option for the future. He continues to run his contract down at Palace towards free agency.

Liverpool came close to signing the Three Lions star for £35 million ($47m) in the summer of 2025, only to see the plug pulled on that deal at the last minute ahead of the deadline. It is reported that Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter and Atletico Madrid now form part of Guehi’s ever-growing list of suitors.

As he has entered the final six months of his current deal, the Chelsea academy graduate is free to agree pre-contract terms with a team outside of England. If a Premier League club wants to do a deal, then they will need to stump up a fee at this stage.

It is claimed that Palace may be open to offers as they want to avoid losing a prized asset for nothing at the end of the season. City may be willing to enter into discussions for a player who they were looking to land on a free in the summer.

For now, the Blues are keeping all of their options open. According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano that also means recalling Max Alleyne from a loan spell at Championship side Watford.

The 20-year-old defender has taken in 20 appearances for the Hornets this season, meaning that he is match sharp, and Guardiola is ready to draft him into first-team plans at the Etihad ahead of a potential senior debut for City being made in 2026.