Chelsea’s Premier League rivals Manchester City will be keen to improve their squad this summer after a disappointing season.
As a result, they could now find themselves going toe-to-toe with Chelsea for one player once the transfer window opens.
Pep Guardiola’s men are currently fourth in the Premier League table but will drop to fifth if Chelsea are able to beat Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night. It shows just how poor they have been this term.
Chelsea also face a battle with Newcastle United, with both clubs interested in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi.
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images
Chelsea and Man City interested in Udinese’s Oumar Solet
While Chelsea are keen on Guehi, the England international is not the only central defender on their radar.
According to Sportitalia, Chelsea, City and Liverpool have all “tested the waters” for Udinese star Oumar Solet.
He could cost a lot cheaper than Guehi as well, with the same outlet claiming that his price tag had been set at €30m (£25m). After some impressive performances, though, that is likely to have gone up.
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Palace have demanded £70m for Guehi before, so you would still expect him to cost more than someone like Solet, for example.
However, with the 24-year-old approaching the final 12 months of his contract, Palace know they are going to have to be reasonable with their valuation this summer.
Whether it is Guehi, Solet or someone else, it definitely looks like Enzo Maresca will be bringing in a new centre-half ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images
Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images
Oumar Solet’s goal against Inter Milan
Solet may be a defender, but he was able to score a terrific goal against Inter Milan at the end of last month.
Udinese went on to lose the match, but it was a game that Solet will not forget. It was the Frenchman’s first goal for the club and came against one of Europe’s best defences.
This season, Inter have conceded just 28 goals in Serie A. There was nothing that Yann Sommer could have done about Solet’s strike, however.