Chelsea 'actively considering' WORLD-RECORD January transfer

Tom Weber

• Updated: 7 Jan 2025 09:42 GMT
• 4 min read

Chelsea have a genuine interest in re-signing Marc Guehi, but if Crystal Palace's asking price from the summer is anything to go by, it won't be a cheap transfer.

The Blues are considering their centre-back options following injuries to Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana, with the latter potentially out for the rest of the season.

What was supposed to be a relatively quiet window has suddenly become one of potentially significant movement, with several players, of course, also on the way out.

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Seemingly the easiest way to deal with the centre-back position would be either to trust Aaron Anselmino, who has arrived from Boca Juniors with no experience of European football, or to recall Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace. Contrary to initial reports, there is a break clause in his deal after all.

However, Chalobah was actively forced out of the club in the summer and evidently doesn't have a future under Enzo Maresca, so Chelsea may be inclined to look for a more long-term option.

Chelsea to re-sign Guehi?

Fabrizio Romano revealed on Monday that Chelsea could instead target Chalobah's teammate Marc Guehi, himself a Blues academy graduate. He left Stamford Bridge for Selhurst Park in 2021 for €23.34 million, with Chelsea securing a sell-on percentage and matching rights but no buy-back clause.

The lack of option to bring him back means that re-signing Guehi will be a pricey affair, but it is a course of action that Chelsea are 'actively considering,' according to Ben Jacobs.

In the summer, Palace were locked in a transfer battle with Newcastle for the England international. The Magpies launched several bids but ultimately Palace were unwilling to sell unless they received a potentially world-record £70m-£80m (€84m-€96m).

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Josko Gvardiol, who cost Man City €90m, is currently the world's most expensive defender. It is unlikely that Palace will be more open to selling mid-season than they were in the summer, but there are some factors that could play in Chelsea's favour regarding a possible price reduction.

For one, their sell-on percentage would become irrelevant, so the Eagles wouldn't have to give up as much as 20 per cent of their earnings, meaning that they could settle for a lower overall fee.

Additionally, the clock is ticking on Guehi's contract. He is tied down until 2026 and has no intention of extending, so realistically this is the penultimate window in which Palace can generate a fee for the centre-back, putting his suitors in a stronger negotiating position than in previous windows.