Revealed: When Marc Guehi will complete £20m Man City transfer with medical booked for Crystal Palace star

The news comes after City agreed a £20m package including add-ons with fellow Premier League side Palace on Friday, with Guardiola’s side pipping Liverpool and Arsenal to Guehi’s signature.

Guehi, who has established himself as one of the league’s best defenders, reportedly drew interest from European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid as well, with his Palace contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Should Guehi’s move go through as expected, he will follow in the footsteps of Semenyo, who also completed a mid-season switch to City last Friday.

The forward - who was also courted by Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur - has made a dream start at the Etihad Stadium, having scored in first two games against League One side Exeter City in the FA Cup and Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup.

City have moved quickly to sign Guehi after losing central defenders Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to injuries in the 1-1 league draw with Chelsea on January 4. The Cityzens - who recalled academy graduate Max Alleyne from his loan spell with Championship side Watford amid their injury crisis - are unbeaten in three games without Dias and Gvardiol, however, having drawn 1-1 with Brighton before the victories over Exeter and Newcastle.

Guardiola admits Dias and Gvardiol's injuries left City in 'trouble'

While Guardiola refused to specifically mention Guehi by name ahead of City’s trip to rivals United in the Manchester derby on Saturday, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss did speak about his side’s injury woes, which he admits left the club in “trouble”.

“What I thought [after Dias and Gvardiol injuries]? We are in trouble! That was my first thought,” Guardiola said on Friday afternoon. “But that’s why we loaned the option to recover players and we thought, because I knew Max (Alleyne) from training two years with us, and of course he still has a big, big margin to improve.

“But in general, comparing the – not training sessions because we don’t have training sessions – video, how quick he got the things is really, really good.

“We transferred for the fact to bring back Max (Alleyne). The rest, we’ll see. Normally when you sign a player it’s not just for the three months, two months, it’s for years. And after the club has to decide this is the player for years.”

And when asked about Ghana international Semenyo’s impressive impact since arriving in Manchester, Guardiola added: “When we brought (Antoine) Semenyo, because we’ve had problems from the wingers from day one and the chance that maybe we could do it and the club can afford it for the release close. So Antoine came for years, not coming to solve a short problem.

“And this is the best way. So when you have injuries, like what happened now in one department like in central defenders, they don’t come for just until the players come back. Last season for example, (Abdukodir) Khusanov or Vitor (Reis) – especially Khusanov – came from 21 years old for many, many years. So that is the reason why.”

While City prepare to lock horns with rivals United, who are competing in their first match since naming former player Michael Carrick as their caretaker manager until the end of the season, Guehi’s Palace travel to Sunderland later on Saturday.

The Eagles, who are currently winless in their last nine games in all competitions, suffered a double blow in the lead up to the Sunderland game after head coach Oliver Glasner - after announcing Guehi’s impending move to City - confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season.