Chelsea are looking to trump Liverpool for the transfer of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi before the transfer deadline, according to CaughtOffside.
The Ivorian-born England international has made 155 first-team appearances for Palace since his 2021 switch from Chelsea and captained Oliver Glasner’s side to their FA Cup and Community Shield final victories over Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively.
He has also made 23 appearances for the England national team, playing a key role in the team’s Euro 2024 campaign, which ended in defeat to Spain in the final.
With his contract at Selhurst Park set to expire at the end of the current season, a departure seems likely, and Liverpool have been hot on his trail with a £35m bid reportedly submitted on Saturday.
However, Palace are yet to accept Liverpool’s offer, and it appears Chelsea are now looking to take advantage of the situation with a late swoop to trump the Premier League champions to sign the 25-year-old.
This is according to Caughtoffside, who claims that the Blues have reignited interest in signing the Cobham Academy graduate before the deadline on Monday evening.
The report adds that the West London club made an ‘approach’ to Palace in recent days over the possibility of a late swoop for the transfer of Guehi to Stamford Bridge.
Battle
Chelsea’s interest stems from the need to find a viable replacement should Axel Disasi depart the club before the deadline, and Guehi has now been earmarked as a possible option, according to the report.
Although a deal looks complicated at this stage, CaughtOffside adds that Enzo Maresca’s side have formally declared their intention to Palace and are ready to battle with Liverpool again next summer should Guehi decide to see out his contract.
Chelsea’s season began with a blow following reports of a long-term injury suffered by Levi Colwill. Although several reports linked the club to several options, Maresca has maintained faith in his current crop of centre-backs, which includes 19-year-old Josh Acheampong, who was brilliant in the opening game against Palace.
With the Champions League coming up next month, the Blues will need the best possible options to compete with their counterparts, and a swoop for Guehi would be a bold statement of intent towards their ambition.
With Palace yet to respond to Liverpool’s reported £35m offer, it’ll be interesting to see if the Blues will outbid the Reds to trump them to his signature before the deadline.
