Chelsea reserve centre-back completes £18m Crystal Palace move
Marc Guehi has completed his £18million switch from Chelsea to Crystal Palace, signing a five-year deal with the Eagles.
The 21-year-old impressed across 18 months of two loans at Swansea and has now made the Selhurst Park move. Guehi becomes one of the first recruits of Patrick Vieira’s managerial tenure with the Eagles.
“I’m very excited, it’s a great opportunity for me to come to such a big club in the Premier League,” said Guehi.
“I’m really excited to get going. The club is taking a really exciting direction with the new gaffer that’s come in.
“A lot of good young players are here and obviously such a stable club with top players really enticed me and made me want to come.”
Guehi was born in the Ivory Coast but grew up in London and joined Chelsea aged eight. The England Under-21 cap now faces a new challenge with Eagles chairman Steve Parish excited by what the new recruit can offer.
“We’re delighted to have signed Marc for Crystal Palace,” said Parish.
“He’s an exciting talent and one we believe will be a valuable addition to the squad as we build towards the coming season.”
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Chelsea looking for sneaky sale
Meanwhile, Chelsea have been quietly seeking an opportunity to secure a summer sale for one of their attacking players, according to a shock new report.
The Blues’ 2020/21 campaign was very much a season of two halves. They stuttered under Frank Lampard and were ninth in the Premier League at the time of his sacking. In stark contrast, they became a force to be reckoned with under new boss Thomas Tuchel.
The German went 14 games without defeat after joining the club. The remarkable turnaround culminated in their Champions League victory over Manchester City.
Having ended the season on a high note, it can be easy to forget the earlier disappointment surrounding some of the fresh faces they acquired last summer.
Lampard spent serious money having previously been restricted by a transfer embargo.
The two deals that cost the most were for German pair Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.
Neither hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge, but it was only fair to afford them some time to adapt to the change from Bundesliga to Premier League.
Havertz, aged three years younger than Werner, arguably has slightly less pressure on him than his fellow countryman.
Werner failed to deliver
However, Werner was brought in with the hope of scoring goals for fun, which he failed to deliver on. His performances continued to frustrate Blues fans and his composure in front of goal often let him down.
Indeed, it was Havertz who found the winner in the final against City after the former RB Leipzig man had fluffed a massive chance.
And now it appears his inconsistency has left his position with the club vulnerable. According to Sky Germany, Chelsea have been asking around to see if anybody wants to sign him.
The report states the club are not actively seeking a buyer, but rather are looking for an ‘appropriate opportunity’.
Selling Werner is not ‘compulsory’ and Tuchel and co are said to still be ‘betting’ on the 25-year-old to deliver next season.
READ MORE: Chelsea take firm stance over midfielder as Prem duo jostle for position
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