Chelsea make Guehi transfer stance clear amid competition for Eagles star

Chelsea are determined to lead the chase for in-demand England defender Marc Guehi this summer.

Crystal Palace made it clear they were determined not to sell in January despite interest from Chelsea and a late bid from Tottenham. Newcastle were the big suitors last summer and had several bids turned down with Palace demanding £70million and it remains to be seen whether they will come back again.

But despite the strong interest, Chelsea are huge admirers and are keen to bring back their former academy graduate who is now an established England international.

Chelsea know there will be strong interest again this summer as Guehi will only have 12 months left on his current deal. But Blues boss Enzo Maresca rates him highly and sees him as the sort of defensive leader to bolster his squad and dressing room.

Chelsea’s wage structure – longer-term deals with a lower basic wage – has sometimes made it hard to compete, but Guehi is a player at the top of their list and would not like to see him go to a rival.

They sold Guehi to Palace in 2021 for £18m and inserted a clause in the deal to allow them to match any offer from another club. There is also a sell-on clause which goes up to 20 per cent, but that would be complicated by the fact it would be Chelsea buying back their former player.

Guehi’s reputation has grown since last summer’s Euros when his calmness, leadership and quality on the ball have made him one of the most sought-after defenders in the Premier League.

There will be no shortage of interest if he is available but Chelsea might hold an edge even though going back for a player they sold will always create a debate if they end up having to pay three times as much to get him back.

Speaking about Guehi in January before Chelsea opted to recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Palace, Maresca said: “The only thing I can say is Marc Guehi is a Palace player. I like Marc for sure but he is not our player. But I like also the central defenders we have.

"I also like different types of central defenders in Italy, Spain and France but that doesn't mean we are going to buy a player. It is a normal situation I think when you have central defenders injured that the speculation is there. At the same time, there is nothing there.”

Guehi has made 141 appearances for Palace since joining the club from Chelsea four years ago. He has served as captain under the management of Oliver Glasner and is a crucial player for the Eagles, who sit 13th in the Premier League table.