Chelsea are keen to bring back Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi in 2025.
The England international, 24, has been shining in the Crystal Palace colours since swapping Chelsea for £18 million in 2021 after finding his opportunities limited and, in three years, he has become the club captain for the Eagles.
Premier League heavyweights such as Manchester United and Liverpool have been interested in securing his signature. Newcastle United had multiple bids turned down by Palace in the past summer, while he has also been linked with Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea, most importantly, have a buy-back clause in the deal that originally took Marc Guehi to Selhurst Park. The centre-back, who starred for England during their run into the 2024 European Championship final, is out of contract at Palace in June 2025. This has alerted the Blues that he could reportedly be available for a cut-price fee in the summer.
Are Chelsea planning to bring back Marc Guehi?
Chelsea have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League so far this season. Indeed, after two years of misery under several managers, Enzo Maresca has steadied the ship at the club, Under the Italian’s tutelage, the Blues sit third in the Premier League table.
The West Londoners have made a habit of recruiting expensive youngsters from all around the globe to fill the squad in the Boehly era, and while more experienced heads such as Robert Sanchez, Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix and Pedro Neto have all arrived, their prime focus have been on youth.
With the January window around the corner, all eyes are on whether or not Chelsea will go big again and look to bring in more players. It remains to be seen the winter budget Maresca will have after the club spent millions during the summer transfer window. The Blues boss appears to be keen on recruiting a centre-back in 2025, with Marc Guehi emerging as a top option.
Guehi has established himself as one of the most reliable centre-backs in the Premier League in the last couple of years. The 24-year-old’s rock-solid performances for England in the Euro 2024 in Germany enhanced his stock further. After becoming a leader at Palace, he could be tempted to move back to Chelsea where it all began for him.
The Abidjan-born star can play in a flat back four or in a three-man defence effectively, which will appeal to Maresca. Guehi would be an immediate upgrade on both Axel Disasi and Benoit Badiashile, and he would challenge Wesley Fofana for a spot in Maresca’s starting XI.
Considering he does not want to sign a new deal and will have only one year left in his contract at Selhurst Park in the summer, Chelsea must attempt to bring Guehi back to Stamford Bridge.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
