Forgotten Chelsea flop set for SURPRISE Premier League return

Tom Weber

Updated: 8 Apr 2024 19:01 BST
3 min read

Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea, question mark — © IMAGO

Crystal Palace are interested in forgotten Chelsea academy product Jake Clarke-Salter, according to a report.

Article continues under the video

The Eagles are looking to strengthen their backline in the summer. England international Marc Guehi is constantly being linked with a move away from Selhurst Park and Crystal Palace are already planning for life after the 23-year-old.

Though signing Guehi will be anything but easy, England's biggest clubs could launch a summer offensive. The likes of Man Utd and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in the centre-back, while Newcastle are also once again in the mix having already tried to sign him previously.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have also occasionally been tentatively linked with their former academy product, but the Blues don't have a traditional buy-back clause. Instead, they have the option to match any offers that come in for Guehi.

It is not yet clear where the Palace star will end up in the summer, but the ex-Chelsea man could be replaced by another former Blue.

Palace want Clarke-Salter

According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are interested in Jake Clarke-Salter. A graduate of Chelsea's Cobham academy, the former England U21 international is now 26 years old and a regular starter for QPR in the Championship.

After loans at Bristol Rovers, Sunderland, Vitesse, Birmingham City and Coventry, Clarke-Salter finally left Chelsea after 14 years in 2022 to join the fellow London side. Similarly to Guehi, the defender never got a proper look in with the Blues' first team and he only has two senior appearances for his boyhood club on his CV.

It is claimed that Clarke-Salter is keen to test himself in the Premier League, with Palace one of the options on the table. The likes of Burnley, Celtic and Bournemouth are also said to be interested.