Chelsea target Marc Guehi has “no plans to leave” Crystal Palace during the January transfer window, according to 90min.com.
The website claims that the Blues have been monitoring the defender “closely”, having sold him to the Eagles for an initial £18m in the summer of 2021.
However, Guehi wants to remain at Selhurst Park for the rest of the season in order to ensure he makes the England squad for the European Championships.
While the 23-year-old is said to be “open” to returning to Chelsea at some point, a move next month is currently not on the cards.
Why are Chelsea pursuing Guehi?
On the face of it, it appears that manager Mauricio Pochettino already has plenty of centre-backs at his disposal, including Thiago Silva, Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill.
However, there could be some departures in that department in the not-too-distant future. Trevoh Chalobah is expected to be sold if a good enough bid is tabled, and there is a chance that Silva could leave Stamford Bridge when his contract expires in June.
When you also consider the fact that Pochettino has been deploying Colwill as a left-back, you can see why another centre-half may be targeted.
Competition for the England international could drive up his price
90min claim that the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle, Tottenham and Bayern Munich are also keeping a close eye on Guehi’s situation.
For that reason, it’s very unlikely that Palace would let the defender leave on the cheap. Other reports have suggested that his asking price could be as high as £60m. Whether Chelsea would be prepared to pay that much for their former player, we shall have to wait and see.
