Chelsea returned to action last night after a long and boring international break, and there’s plenty to say about the game.
One thing that remains notable is a lack of solidity at the back. Robert Sanchez in goal, Axel Disasi at right back, Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill in the middle and Marc Cucurella on the left is a setup that is currently full of errors and hairy moments, despite the qualities that each player has.
The side is screaming out for a calm centre back who can command the whole arrangement and bring some stability to the side. Perhaps it’s no surprise that we continue to be linked with Crystal Palace stalwart Marc Guehi, then.
Potentially the start of a worrying new trend at Chelsea
Because Guehi is a Chelsea academy boy, it’s always assumed that we can swoop in and sign him up whenever we want – it’s just a question of offering the right money to Palace. But it seems it might not be that simple.
Today’s Football Insider says that Guehi could turn down an approach from Chelsea and hold out for a more to someone like Liverpool or Arsenal. Pete O’Rourke wrote that despite the clause in Guehi’s contract which allows the Blues to match any offer Palace receive, he could well end up elsewhere “given the Blues’ scattergun approach to the transfer market, and treatment of established players.”
After leaving for just £18m back in 2021, Guehi has gone from strength to strength, and there’s long been a feeling that he’s wanted back at Chelsea. But the new way the team is being run seems like it’s putting him off, and we can’t blame him. Until the chaos ends and a really coherent football team emerges, this might not be the last time this happens.
We will find out more next summer when bids for Guehi get serious.