Crystal Palace have expressed an interest in a rising Chelsea prodigyplaceholder image
Crystal Palace have expressed an interest in a rising Chelsea prodigy | AFP via Getty Images
Crystal Palace have expressed an interest in a rising Chelsea prodigy
Out-of-favour Chelsea youngster Tyrique George is believed to be the subject of strong interest from Crystal Palace as the Eagles began to plan out their January transfer activity.
George has been on the books at Chelsea since he was eight-years-old. He joined the academy in 2014 and has made 34 appearances for the first team since making his debut in 2024. He’s represented England at every age group from Under-16 to Under-21 and is seen as a player with the capabilities of one day making the jump up to play for Thomas Tuchel at senior level.
George has shown plenty of promise and has achieved a fair bit in the game for a 19-year-old. However, it’s been suggested that he’s not currently happy with his peripheral role in the Chelsea team. Mirror Sport claim he’s seeking a route out of Stamford Bridge to give himself more regular first team opportunities.
Crystal Palace express interest in Tyrique George
Premier League clubs have made no secret of their interest in signing Tyrique George. Fulham came within inches of signing the Chelsea starlet on transfer deadline day for £22m, only for negotiations to break down at the eleventh hour. And now it appears that Palace are the leading contenders to sign him.
Oliver Glasner's side sit ninth in the Premier League but have become reliant on Jean-Philippe Mateta for goals. They are also fairly light on options in forward areas after selling Eberechi Eze to Arsenal. They’re said to have been impressed by George’s overall output of six goals and six assists in 34 appearances while often having to settle for a place on the bench.
George is primarily a left-sided winger but has proven for Chelsea he has the capabilities to play through the middle or on occasion the right-wing. He scored 14 times and contributed 10 assists at Under-18 level to further outline his goal-scoring potential.
The blockbuster swap deal transfer Chelsea could look to strike
Crystal Palace captain Guehi has less than a year remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park, meaning he’s at risk of leaving on a free transfer in the summer. He’s not expected to remain at Crystal Palace beyond his existing contract and was open to completing a £35m move to Liverpool on deadline day before the deal collapsed.
Guehi is a fine example of a player that’s come through Chelsea’s academy that they’ll have regrets about selling too soon. The former Blues academy graduate never actually played a league game for Chelsea and was sold for around £20m after an impressive spell on loan at Swansea way back in 2021.
However, he’s bound to have an emotional bond with the club from his 14 years as a youth player which could potentially act as an advantage if they try and beat other teams to his signature. Chelsea are in need of defensive reinforcements after losing Levi Colwill to a season-ending injury and would be getting one of the best in the business if they were able to entice Guehi to the club.
It may make sense for Chelsea to try and jump the queue and try and sign him in January by offering Crystal Palace a figure of around £20m for Guehi, with George, who is already a target for the Eagles, moving the other way as part of the deal. It’s very much a tactic from theFootball Manager handbook as opposed to something we often see in real life. But it could potentially work if Enzo Maresca made a move this winter.
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