Marc Guehi has completed a £20m move to Manchester City from Crystal Palace in the same window that Chelsea are trying to sign a centre-back. So, did Chelsea try to sign Guehi?
For Crystal Palace fans, it has been a nightmare week. Oliver Glasner has confirmed he will be leaving at the end of the season, having also told supporters that Guehi would be on his way to Manchester City.
The England international has long been linked with the exit door at Crystal Palace, having nearly joined Liverpool back in the summer. Nothing materialised, and he remained at Palace with Glasner until now.
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Enzo Maresca rejected the chance to sign Marc Guehi at Chelsea
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Guehi, who joined Palace from Chelsea in the summer of 2021, has now joined Man City for just £20m ahead of the World Cup in the summer. But with Chelsea eyeing a defender, did they want Guehi back?
Nizaar Kinsella explains why Chelsea didn’t pursue Marc Guehi
According to BBC Sport’s Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella, Chelsea were interested in luring Guehi back to Stamford Bridge, almost five years since he left. But there was one main stumbling block in the way.
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Indeed, the stumbling block was that Man City were willing to pay now and offer Guehi a massive £300k a week. That would have seen Guehi overtake Chelsea’s highest earner in Reece James, as per Kinsella.
Not just overtake, but blow James out of the water by a huge £50,000. Liverpool and Bayern were also keen on signing Guehi alongside Chelsea on a free in the summer. But City have made the move now.
Chelsea may have been best-advised to bite the bullet with Guehi
Chelsea are pursuing a deal worth three times the fee Man City paid for Guehi in Jeremy Jacquet, and while the Frenchman’s wages will be smaller, it will still be a massive initial financial cost for the Blues.
How much would you be willing to pay for Jeremy Jacquet?💰
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Especially because Guehi is experienced in the Premier League and can instantly hit the ground running. It does not take much to argue that at the moment, Guehi is one of the Premier League’s best defenders.
For Jacquet, it won’t be an instant hit. The 6ft 3in Frenchman has played just 29 times at senior level for Rennes and will need time to adjust, time to speak a new language, time to settle in a new country.
While Guehi might have broken the wage structure, Guehi’s England teammate James will surely get why if Chelsea had made the defender the club’s highest-paid player. It should have been a deal pursued.
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