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Chelsea’s latest defensive prodigy: What’s next for Marc Guehi?

By Akshat Mehrish

SWANSEA, WALES - FEBRUARY 17: Marc Guehi of Swansea City in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Nottingham Forest at the Liberty Stadium on February 17, 2021 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images)
SWANSEA, WALES - FEBRUARY 17: Marc Guehi of Swansea City in action during the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City and Nottingham Forest at the Liberty Stadium on February 17, 2021 in Swansea, Wales. (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images) /
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STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 2019/10/30: Marc Guehi of Chelsea seen in action during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London.(Final score; Chelsea 1:2 Manchester United). (Photo by Richard Calver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 2019/10/30: Marc Guehi of Chelsea seen in action during the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in London.(Final score; Chelsea 1:2 Manchester United). (Photo by Richard Calver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) /

Fikayo Tomori’s departure from Chelsea was strangely personal. Apart from the fact that Tomori was a decent footballer, he was also among a group of players the club very much considers its own. Seeing him leave for Milan – a city that has produced and fielded legendary defenders in the past – felt pleasing and poignant in equal terms. The club wished him well and instantly turned to their ever-running conveyor belt; there is never a shortage of the ‘next big thing’ at Chelsea.

Marc Guehi is considered by many as the next big thing. A right-footed centerback, Guehi spent the last season and a half on loan at Swansea City and helped the Welsh side reach the Championship play-off final in 2021. Had Swansea been promoted to the Premier League, another season on loan at the Liberty would have made sense. But what now? What does Chelsea do with him? Do they loan him to a Premier League outfit, given that he seems to have outgrown the Championship? Or, do they keep him in their squad for the upcoming season?

There is a case to be made for both the alternatives. A season-long loan at a Premier League side could prove to be the final stamp of approval before Guehi returns to the club, ready for first-team action. However, Chelsea needs bodies in the squad this season to navigate a grueling fixture list that will throw as many as six different competitions at them. So, won’t it make more sense to keep the 20-year-old in and around the first team?

In light of the evidence we have from Guehi’s successful loan spell at Swansea and Chelsea’s apparent needs in the defensive department, we map out the best possible route for him.

Life out on Loan

It may have faced fierce criticism in the past, but people have finally started to see value in the Chelsea loan-development system™. The rudimentary workings of the system are simple and highly effective in most cases: you either come through the academy or get bought at a young age from another club, survive the cycles of youth football, and eventually get loaned out to a different club to experience senior football. Following loans at different levels, you’re either drafted into the Chelsea senior team or, as in most cases, sold for a minor profit.

Guehi, presently, is in the final stage of the Chelsea loan-development system™. The youngster, having spent the last season-and-a-half at Swansea, seems ready to take the step up. As far as Chelsea are concerned, Guehi’s temporary move to the Liberty Stadium could’ve hardly gone any better. Under his former England youth coach, Steve Cooper, the defender enjoyed regular first-team football, amassing a whopping 45 appearances last term. His performances were clearly consistent with Swansea’s progress, but they also caught the eye now and then.

Swansea, unfortunately, fell at the final hurdle of an exhausting season, which means, for the time being, their favorite young defender won’t be returning to Wales for another year. But what lies ahead for the player, who finds himself at a crossroads this summer?

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