*This content was translated by AI.
It's literally 'honey-in'. Manchester City, which is seeking to regain the lead in the English Premier League (EPL), succeeded in reinforcing its defense by holding league-leading center back Mark Gehi (25) at a relatively low price.
European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano said on his personal social network service (SNS) on the 16th (Korea time), "Gehi is heading to Manchester City. Crystal Palace have accepted Manchester City's official offer," he said, adding the phrase "Here We Go" left when the transfer is confirmed.
According to Romano, Gehi's transfer fee is about 20 million pounds (about 40 billion won). Guehi also accepted to go to Manchester City.
The British 'BBC' also reported on the same day that "Man City agreed in principle to recruit Palace captain Guehi," adding, "The transfer fee is around £20 million."
Manchester City's recruitment is a game-winner for a fierce competition with Arsenal. Manchester City are six points behind leaders Arsenal, having only drawn three consecutive league games in the past. To make matters worse, the main defenders Hoobeng Diaz and Yoshko Gvardiol left due to injuries, putting the defensive line on alert.
In response, Pep Guardiola signed striker Antoine Semeno from AFC Bournemouth last week, and he strengthened his power significantly by embracing defender Gehi. Shortly after his transfer, Semeno made a soft landing for the team with two goals and one assist in two games.
In particular, joining this time can be interpreted as a successful recruitment. "Gehi has proven leadership as an England national team and captain of Palace," BBC said. "He played a key role when he beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup final at Wembley last season." Analysts say that it was possible to recruit him at a relatively low transfer fee of £20 million because the contract was about to expire.
Man City are in the middle of a major rebuild. According to the BBC, Manchester City has invested about £414 million (about KRW 817.5 billion) since January 1, 2025 to recruit 14 players. Existing main players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson and Ilkay Gundoan left the team last summer, lowering the average age and weekly wage of the team. Financial Fair Play (PSR) regulations are also relaxed thanks to player sales revenue.
Meanwhile, Gehi's addition is expected to affect John Stones' position. "BBC" said, "Gehi's recruitment could mean goodbye to Stones," adding, "Stone's 31-year-old is suffering from frequent injuries and his contract expires this summer. Guardiola also mentioned his injury history as a variable in the contract renewal negotiations.
He also beat his rival Arsenal. The media added, "Asnall also jumped into the recruitment race, but was aiming for the summer transfer market," adding, "Man City moved quickly and succeeded in hijacking."
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
