How much Chelsea need to bid for Marc Guehi in order for transfer talks to gain traction

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The most intriguing Chelsea saga of the January transfer window so far is their attempt to re-sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

Marc Guehi, 24, previously came through the Chelsea academy before he was sold to Palace in 2021. He’s now heavily linked with a potential return to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea could sell heavily to raise the funds for Guehi as they attempt to swoop for the Palace and England centre-back.

It’s positive news that Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is a massive fan of Palace’s Guehi, but will he end up coaching him in 2025?

• READ MORE: How much money Marc Guehi wants if he signs for Chelsea – it’s more than what Cole Palmer earns

Chelsea bid could get the ball rolling for Marc Guehi

According to The Athletic, Chelsea’s valuation of Guehi is considerably lower than the £65m that Palace were demanding for him last summer when Newcastle United came calling.

The report claims that an offer in the region of £40m may be sufficient for transfer talks to gain traction, even though Palace don’t really want to lose their key player midway through the season.

Guehi is entering the final 18 months of his deal at Selhurst Park, so the Eagles are running out of time if they want to sell the England international for a decent sum.

What should Chelsea do next?

If a £40m offer will get things moving, Chelsea should test the waters and submit that figure to Palace for Guehi.

When you recall that the Blues paid £39m (Sky Sports) for Axel Disasi and £35m (Sky Sports) for Benoit Badiashile, Guehi would be seem like a bargain if he cost anything less than £50m.

Unlike many recent Chelsea signings, Guehi is proven in the Premier League as a consistently solid centre-half. He’s a real leader and strong figure in the defence that could make the perfect partner for Levi Colwill.

Chelsea fans think Guehi and Colwill could combine perfectly as a centre-back partnership, both for the Blues and the England national team.

What has Enzo Maresca said about Marc Guehi?

Interestingly, Chelsea manager Maresca was directly asked about the Guehi speculation during a press conference on Friday.

Maresca said via Football.London: “The only thing I can say is Marc Guehi is a Palace player. I like Marc for sure but he is not our player. But I like also the central defenders we have. I also like different types of central defenders in Italy, Spain and France but that doesn’t mean we are going to buy a player.

“It is a normal situation I think when you have central defenders injured that the speculation is there. At the same time, there is nothing there.”

The Chelsea head coach certainly kept his cards close to his chest regarding Guehi, so fans will just wait and see what happens in the coming weeks as the transfer window continues.