Chelsea are set for a huge benefit from Marc Guehi’s transfer to Manchester City. The Crystal Palace captain is on the verge of linking up with Pep Guardiola at the Etihad for the second half of the season and beyond, as the Cityzens look to close the gap to Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. The Gunners are six points clear of their nearest challengers, who are suffering a defensive injury crisis.
Chelsea cash in on Guehi clause
The West London club are set to benefit financially from Guehi’s impending move to City, having included a sell-on clause when the defender joined Crystal Palace in 2021. The 25-year-old centre-back will complete his move to the Etihad Stadium in the coming days, with the Manchester club agreeing a £20m fee to secure his services. As part of the original deal that took Guehi from Stamford Bridge to Selhurst Park, Chelsea inserted a clause entitling them to 20% of any future transfer fee.
That provision means Chelsea are due to receive around £4m once the transfer is finalised, more than four years after Guehi left the club. City identified the England international as a priority target and moved to secure him mid-season, keen to avoid competition should he have entered the final stages of his contract. Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has also indicated the deal is nearing completion, confirming Guehi will not feature in their next match. A double blow for Eagles fans after the Austrian announced he would also be departing the club in the summer.
Glasner confirms captain’s departure
Speaking in a bombshell interview on Friday, Glasner said: “My latest understanding is the deal for Marc is in the final stages,” Glasner said. “I cannot confirm the club’s latest. It’s not done. But the result is Marc doesn’t play tomorrow for us. Every player, depending on their contract situation, there is a price where the club say they want to do it. When a player says they want to move, a deal happens. It looks like it happens now.”
That was not the only bad news delivered by Glasner, though, as he announced his desire for a new challenge. He added: “A decision has already been taken, months ago. I had a meeting with Steve [Parish] in October, the international break. We had a very long talk, and I told him I will not sign a new contract. We agreed at the time it was the best to keep it between us. It’s the best that we could do that and keep it confidential for three months. But now it’s important to have clarity, and we had a very busy schedule so that’s why we didn’t want to talk about it. Steve and I want the best for Crystal Palace.”
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Guehi’s parting gift to Chelsea
Guehi came through Chelsea’s academy but made only two senior appearances for the club. After a loan spell at Swansea City, he was sold to Palace, where he established himself as captain and one of the Premier League’s most reliable defenders. The additional income is a boost for Chelsea, whose head coach Liam Rosenior recently signed a long-term contract running until 2032 following his appointment as Enzo Maresca’s successor. The extra finance will be the last link between the centre-back and the Premier League club, who always had half an eye on bringing the England international back to Stamford Bridge.
Defensive reinforcements crucial for Guardiola
Guehi’s move to City is set to be announced in the coming days to provide some much-needed relief for Guardiola heading into the second half of the campaign. The likes of John Stones, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are all currently missing for the club and not set to return anytime soon. The transfer represents a huge step up for Guehi, who was on the verge of joining Liverpool at the end of the summer transfer window. With City paying half of what the Reds were willing to fork out, they will feel the deal is a bargain, despite Guehi being in the final year of his contract and being available as a free agent in the summer.
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