Marc Guehi was one of Real Madrid's targets to strengthen a vulnerable defense which has been an issue this season. The English center-back's availability as a free agent in the summer made him an attractive option for Los Blancos.
But Madrid cooled their interest in Guehi earlier last week and the 25-year-old is now set to join Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's Sky Blues have agreed a £20m (€17.3m) deal with Crystal Palace to bring him to the Etihad in the January transfer window.
Guehi has long been one of the most reliable defenders in the Premier League and earned a permanent starting role in the England national team. But while his transfer fee is reasonably cheap, the entire package for the former Chelsea man is indefensible.
Real Madrid made correct call over Guehi
Guehi has captained Palace for several years and was a key player as the Eagles won the FA Cup last season. He started this season strongly and had several European giants chasing his signature.
Madrid were ready to move for the center-back in the summer but not in January when a fee was still required. City instead beat Liverpool to the England international who will join Guardiola's title challengers.
TalkSPORT's Alex Crook reports that Guehi is set to earn an astonishing £300,000 (€345,990) per week at the Etihad. That works out to around £15.6 million (€17.9 million) per year.
Fee agreed £20m plus add-ons taking total deal to close to £30m. Wages of around £300,000 for Guehi. https://t.co/FKVqo8hRKD
— Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 (@alex_crook) January 16, 2026
Spending that amount of money on the Englishman would have been the wrong decision, given he isn't exactly a world-class talent. If Madrid did sign him and hand him such a lucrative contract, he'd become the club's fifth highest earner, earning more than Rodrygo (€320,577 pw), Federico Valverde
(€320,577 pw) and Thibaut Courtois (€288,462 pw), via Capology.
Guehi would have only been behind Kylian Mbappe (€600,962 pw), Vinicius Junior (€480, 769 pw), David Alaba (€432,692 pw) and Jude Bellingham (€400, 577 pw). It's simply too much to be paying a player who has yet to reach the very top of world football or show he can become a world beater.
Real Madrid should swoop for Micky van de Ven
If Madrid want to sign a Premier League defender this summer the best option is Tottenham Hotspur's Micky van de Ven. The Dutchman reportedly wants to leave Spurs and Barcelona are thought to be working on a potential deal.
The 24-year-old has a higher ceiling than Guehi and would be a perfect Antonio Rudiger replacement as he is left footed. He is also pacey, accomplishing the fastest speed on record in Premier League history.
Van de Ven is purportedly earning just €90,000 in North London so might not expect such a massive wage increase. The main issue would be his fee with Transfermarkt valuing him at €65m.