Marc Guehi can be a short-term and long-term solution for Manchester City, according to Pep Guardiola, who has highlighted the importance of fielding a settled back four.
City clinched a reported £20m deal for the England international on Monday, after he entered the final six months of his contract with Crystal Palace.
Guehi captained Palace to the first major trophy in their 120-year professional history last year, with City being stunned by the Eagles in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Guehi – who almost joined Liverpool at the start of the season – has put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year deal with City, who are currently experiencing an injury crisis.
Centre-backs Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones are all sidelined, while right-back Matheus Nunes missed Saturday's Manchester derby defeat after suffering from the flu.
With Guehi not turning 26 years old until July, Guardiola believes Guehi will be a key player not only in the coming weeks, but for several years to come.
"He's a top central defender; he's played for the national team. I will say my personal thanks to the club," Guardiola told reporters ahead of Tuesday's Champions League trip to Bodo/Glimt.
"He is the perfect age for many years; he can play on the right or left. And we wanted him especially because he wanted to choose us."
“It’s such an honour to come and play for this Club.”
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 19, 2026
Marc speaks about why he chose to join City pic.twitter.com/sEEfxaHgP6
Abdukodir Khusanov partnered youngster Max Alleyne at centre-back against Manchester United, while Nathan Ake filled in at left-back and Rico Lewis deputised for Nunes on the opposite side of the back four.
Guardiola feels it is unrealistic for anyone to expect consistency while City chop and change their backline, adding: "With the problems we have at the back for the next few months, it's really important that he [Guehi] is here.
"We have 11 absences. And we also have many players who have not been here for even one year... you need time.
"When we had seven wins in a row, it was because we had Matheus, Ruben, Josko and Nico [O'Reilly] playing the games, and that gives you consistency.
"I love to rotate the team, but when you have a consistent back four, it helps. When you have a situation like we have right now, it is normal that we have some ups and downs.
"Accept it. It happens. [Rayan] Ait-Nouri listens to a lot of things. But he was here not even for one year. Khusa is here, Max Alleyne only for a few weeks. We accept who we are and try to be better in the next few games."
City sit fourth in the 36-team Champions League standings with 13 points from six matches, and a win in Norway would be a massive step towards automatic qualification for the last 16.
City have never previously faced a Norwegian side, and none of the last nine English clubs to do so have lost (W6 D3), with Chelsea in October 2002 the last Premier League club to lose in Norway (going down 4-2 against Viking in the UEFA Cup).