Chelsea ‘determined’ to win race for £75m Prem star who’s ‘at the top’ of Blues wish list

Chelsea are hopeful of winning the chase for Marc Guehi this summer and are ready to push hard to prevent him from joining another top Premier League club such as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur or Newcastle United, as per a report.

Newcastle failed with several bids for the defender last summer as Crystal Palace held firm on their price tag, which is understood to be around £75million (€90.5m / $94.8m). Chelsea showed interest in Guehi during the winter window, while Tottenham Hotspur actually came forward with an offer of their own.

Spurs put £70m (€84.5m / $88.5m) on the table, only to receive the Newcastle treatment and be snubbed as well.

Palace are playing a risky game as Guehi’s contract runs until June 2026 and he is unlikely to agree an extension. But the Eagles are insistent that they will receive a massive fee for the England international, viewing him as one of the best centre-backs around.

There has now been an update on Guehi’s situation. The Mirror report that Chelsea are ‘determined’ to re-sign Guehi in the summer before he can agree a move anywhere else.

Chelsea know there will be ‘strong interest’ in the player from rival teams, but they have placed him ‘at the top’ of their transfer wish list.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has greenlit such a move too as he views Guehi as a ‘defensive leader’ who can increase the character in the team.

Chelsea aiming to re-sign Marc Guehi

The Blues sold Guehi to Palace for £18m in 2021 and they still have the option to match any rival bids for him. Chelsea also possess a 20 per cent sell-on clause, though it is unclear how this will work if Chelsea are the ones to actually snare him.

Chelsea’s wage structure, which is focused on long-term contracts with a lower base salary, ‘has made it hard to compete’ with other wealthy clubs of late. But Stamford Bridge chiefs believe Guehi will want to return to the club where he originally broke through as a youngster.

Indeed, it was claimed on February 7 that Chelsea are confident they will beat Spurs to Guehi’s capture.

Given Palace’s firm stance, it seems Chelsea will have to bid £75m or above to ensure they land him this summer.

TEAMtalk understands that Bournemouth pair Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi are also under consideration as Chelsea look to improve their centre-half ranks.

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Chelsea news: Unrest growing; new striker bid

Meanwhile, sources have informed TEAMtalk that there is unrest growing among some ‘top’ stars at Chelsea.

Players are worried about missing out on Champions League qualification due to poor decisions made by those at the top of the club.

Reports in the Spanish press claim Chelsea are targeting Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface as a solution to their striker problems.

It has even been suggested that Chelsea are ready to spend €70m (£58m / $73m) on the 24-year-old goalscorer.

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