Marc Guehi began his career at Chelsea, but he only featured in two EFL Cup games for the club. He played in a 7-1 win over Grimsby Town, followed by a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Whilst at Chelsea, Guehi was sent on loan to Swansea City, before he signed for Crystal Palace permanently. He has become a hero at Palace, helping them win the FA Cup and the Community Shield.
Guehi is currently captaining Palace in their first season in European soccer. However, he was close to leaving the club for Liverpool last summer. The defender is still expected to leave Selhurst Park when his contract expires at the end of June.
His suitors include all of the top clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid. However, surprisingly, not Chelsea.
Why is Chelsea not interested in bringing back Marc Guehi?
Chelsea has lacked a solid central defense this season. This has been due to injuries; Wesley Fofana and Levi Colwill are still out of action.
The Blues have recently sacked their manager, Enzo Maresca, and replaced him with Liam Rosenior. These two managers have different systems. Maresca liked playing four at the back, but Rosenior favors a back three.
Rosenior will want to play his favored 3-4-2-1, so Chelsea will need to bring in more center-back options. Guehi appears to be the player that Chelsea would have been going for in the past. However, the club has changed its philosophy under the BlueCo tenure.
The Blues now invest heavily in very young players, such as the 18-year-old Estevao, with a hope of selling them on for a bigger fee. This is strange for a club such as Chelsea, as this model is usually what less established clubs such as Brighton & Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth do.
Chelsea are the Club World Cup champions, and with the money spent, they should be challenging for the Premier League title. However, their focus on developing young players has turned them into a mid-table side. They are currently eighth in the Premier League.
Appointing Rosenior is left field when it comes to Chelsea managers of the past. The club was once used to getting the best of the best. However, now the focus is on development. Guhei is only 25, but will likely not be sold on by the Blues for a bigger fee. This appears to be why the Blues are not interested in bringing back their former defender.