Chelsea are determined to add to their defensive ranks in the January transfer window with Crystal Palace star and former academy graduate Marc Guehi right at the top of their shortlist
Chelsea could brutally axe up to NINE players – including Christopher Nkunku – in an effort to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.
The Blues are in desperate need of defensive additions after long-term injuries suffered by Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile. Enzo Maresca has already hinted that a new defender could arrive this month. A number of centre-backs have been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have the opportunity to recall Trevoh Chalobah from Palace, while the Eagles’ skipper Guehi has also been linked. The England defender already has plenty of suitors – with Newcastle having had a near £70m deal rejected in the summer.
And in order to afford a move for their former academy graduate, Chelsea might be forced to sell a host of their current stars. As per The Telegraph, Chalobah could be sold permanently, while fellow defender Axel Disasi could be cashed in on.
Ben Chilwell and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, both signed from Leicester – the latter only arriving in the summer – have also been told that they could leave. Ex-Foxes loanee Cesare Casadei has also garnered interest from his former club and Torino.
The sales might not end there. Carney Chukwuemeka, Harvey Vale and Alex Matos could all be available. Meanwhile, Nkunku could be sold amid reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Whether all of those sales come to fruition and lead to a move for Guehi remains to be seen. Palace boss Oliver Glasner does not expect the defender to be sold despite having just 18 months remaining on his contract.
Asked earlier this month if Guehi will still be at the club next month, he said: “I think so. No player from our squad came to me and said [they] want to leave. No one.
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“No one that played all the games, all the minutes, like Marc, and no one from the players who didn’t play so many minutes. This is the most relevant part: what the player tells me.”
The Austrian added: “If one is coming and says they want to leave and both clubs find an agreement, I think it will happen. But as long as a player doesn’t come — and Marc didn’t come — I am really not concerned he will leave. January 31 is a long time [away], and I know I will have to answer this question several times. You will hear the same answer again.”
Palace recently held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park. The two sides are in action in the FA Cup: Chelsea facing Morecambe, while Palace host Stockport.
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