Wesley Fofana’s long-term knee injury has scrambled Chelsea’s pre-season plan.
The Blues had been planning to offload Trevoh Chalobah this summer, with Levi Colwill looking set to play a prominent role in first-team action this season.
However, Fofana’s absence means that the former Ipswich loanee may now play an integral role in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans, with Benoit Badiashile also set to miss the start of the upcoming campaign.
Nevertheless, the Blues are still exploring their options in the current transfer market and Marc Guehi’s has been thrown into the mix.
Who wants to sign Marc Guehi?
According to Fabrizio Romano’s CaughtOffside column, Chelsea are interested in the possibility of resigning Guehi:
“Marc Guehi – There’s a lot of interest in the Crystal Palace defender, but it’s still too early to say where he will go," Romano began.
"Palace players are always linked with moves away but it’s important to underline that Palace have to be respected and they want important money or they keep their stars. Chelsea had some contacts on the player side 15 days ago, but again, no concrete negotiations or anything advanced.”
Crystal Palace will reportedly demand £50m for the 23-year-old’s services, who wants to be a regular starter at his next destination.
It is understood that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also plotting a move for Guehi to make it an enticing saga.
How good is Marc Guehi?
The Eagles star, who has been lauded “incredible” by BBC Sport’s Alex Howell, has been a wonderful addition to Selhurst since his £18m in 2021.
Guehi has appeared in 73 of the club’s last 76 Premier League games – he has become synonymous with reliability, consistency, and defensive solidity.
Furthermore, in the 2021/22 season, the £50k-per-week titan became Palace’s youngest captain in ten years.
His past manager Steve Cooper has also hailed his talent, labelling him as “outstanding” and someone he really believes in, whilst he was on loan at Swansea City.
Cooper’s prophecy has come to fruition as Guehi has become an instrumental figure in Palace’s consolidation as a sturdy mid-table outfit.
If Chelsea managed to complete this signing, they would have another player who mirrors the composure and defensive reliability of Badiashile.
Despite the Blues’ horrendous recent past, the Frenchman emerged from the club’s worst Premier League season with a commendable degree of respect.
In just 11 top-flight outings, the former Monaco gem recorded the fourth-highest average rating in the squad, won 64% of his duels, and managed a 90% pass accuracy. Clearly, he is proficient in passing and winning physical battles.
The centre-back also ranks impressively across the continent, as he sits within the best 18% for progressive passes and interceptions per 90.
Joao Tralhao, who has previously coached Badiashile in France, has showered the Frenchman in praise, saying:
"He is going to one of the world's biggest clubs. But Badiashile is excellent. He is very strong in the air and in the duels. He can read the game because he is intelligent. He is a very good defender on the floor and in the air. He is the complete defender."
Guehi, by comparison, completed 84% of his passes and won 67% of his defensive duels to outline their similarities.
Although the exciting Pochettino era will eventually be tainted by Thiago Silva’s inevitable departure, the prospect of boasting Guehi, Badiashile, and Colwill is tantalising.
