A Marc Guehi and Joao Felix swap deal could work out perfectly for Chelsea and Crystal Palaceplaceholder image
A Marc Guehi and Joao Felix swap deal could work out perfectly for Chelsea and Crystal Palace | Getty Images
Chelsea have a significant couple of months ahead of them on the transfer front
Chelsea have the opportunity to freshen up their ranks with some new faces this summer. Enzo Maresca also has the chance to let some players leave the club. He could do with trimming down the size of his squad before reinforcements arrive.
Maresca was picked as the Blues’ head coach around 12 months ago. Prior to his move to Stamford Bridge, he guided Leicester City to the Championship title at the first time of asking. He has since guided his current club back into the Champions League and also won the Europa Conference League.
Chelsea target Marc Guehi deal
Marc Guehi is a player who Chelsea know all about already following his spell there earlier in his career. The centre-back joined them as a youngster back in 2007 from Cray Wanderers. He then rose up through their academy ranks and was a regular at various different youth levels.
The Blues handed him his first professional contract in 2017 and he went on to play twice for their first-team. He was given the green light to leave on loan for the first time when Swansea City came calling. The England international, who now has 23 caps to his name, ended up having two separate stints with the Swans before Crystal Palace swooped in.
Guehi, who was born in the Ivory Coast, has since become one of the Eagles’ most prized assets. He has made 155 appearances in all competitions since his transfer to Selhurst Park and has chipped in with eight goals from the back. He helped them win the FA Cup last month after they beat Manchester City in the final at Wembley.
According to CaughtOffside, Chelsea hold a long standing interest in the player. His contract with Crystal Palace expires next year. Therefore, they risk losing him for free in June 2026 unless they sell him now or in January, assuming he doesn’t pen an extension anytime soon.
He would be perfect for Maresca’s side and would boost their defensive ranks. Guehi knows the club already, is still young and has potential to get ever better. In addition, he has proved he can perform at the top level over recent times.
Chelsea swap deal involving Joao Felix?
Crystal Palace won’t want to lose Guehi on the cheap and could hold out for big money. Chelsea should try and give them a player in return to try and tempt them into a sale. Joao Felix is someone who has fallen way out of favour and needs to fix himself up a new home.
The Blues forked out £45 million to land the attacker, which pretty much the figure that Guehi is valued at. Therefore, a swap exchange would work out ideally. Both teams would benefit from the transaction and neither would be left short changed. Chelsea would break even on what even the most staunch supporters of the Blues’ controversial transfer strategy would admit was a downright error.
Felix, 24, would still get European football at Palace and would also get to stay in London. He would be able play with a really exciting side. In addition, if the in-demand Eze goes he could be an ideal replacement. The Portugal international needs to be getting regular game time at this stage of his career and Chelsea can’t offer him that anymore. Although going to Selhurst Park may be seen as a bit of a step down by some, he can play every week there. The Eagles would also give him the platform to express himself and prove that he does have what it takes to play in England.
Chelsea signed Felix on loan back in 2023 and his addition was seen as a statement of intent at the time. He was a hit during his days at Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone was able to get the best out of him. However, he hasn’t quite managed to live up to the hype and is in limbo a bit now.
Recent loan spells at Barcelona and AC Milan haven’t really worked out for him. He has been playing for teams where there is too much competition for his position so hasn’t been able to nail down a place in the starting XI. That wouldn’t be the case at Crystal Palace and he would be the first name on the team sheet for Oliver Glasner, especially if Eze left.
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