Chelsea are considering an approach sign again Former Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi has reportedly seen him flourish since leaving Stamford Bridge in 2021.
Guehi joined Palace for £18m after an 18-month loan spell at Swansea City. He has become one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and played a starring role for England at Euro 2024.
Chelsea’s desire to boost their defense this month appears to be driven by the latest injury setback suffered by Wesley Fofanawho has played just 32 times since a £75m move in 2022.
The Daily Mail writes that Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is a “big fan” of Guehi, with Palace aware there is interest from the 24-year-old’s former club. Ideally, the south London club want to keep Guehi and persuade him to sign a new contract beyond the end of his current deal in 2026.
Palace demanded £70m for Guehi last summer when Newcastle United rejected multiple offersbut it remains to be seen if they could command as much again, since the next season would enter the last year of the contract.
Chelsea have been tipped to offer Trevoh Chalobah, currently on loan at Selhurst Park, as part of a proposed move, although palace they are said to prefer a cash settlement.
There are further complications given that Chelsea have a sell-on clause attached to Guehi, and it’s unclear how that would actually work if that were the case. Chelsea which are the buying club. It is also believed that with potential wage demands of £170,000-a-week, he may not fit into Chelsea’s wage structure, which has changed considerably in recent seasons.
Chelsea’s desire for a centre-back has already seen it possibility of Chalobah being withdrawn of the loan. The 25-year-old made 80 appearances over two-and-a-half seasons as a first-team player but would be a huge U-change for the club after he was severely frozen out last summer.
