Chelsea could brutally offload NINE players, including Christopher Nkunku, in a bid to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi.
The Blues are in desperate need of defensive additions following long-term injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile. Enzo Maresca has already hinted that a new defender could arrive this month. A number of centre-backs have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have the option of recalling Trevoh Chalobah from Palace, while Eagles captain Guehi has also been linked. The England defender already has plenty of suitors, with Newcastle having to turn down a deal worth almost £70m in the summer.
And to afford a move for their former academy graduate, Chelsea could be forced to sell a large number of their current stars. According to The Telegraph, Chalobah could be sold permanently, while fellow defender Axel Disasi could be cashed in.
Ben Chilwell and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, both signed from Leicester – the latter not arriving until the summer – have also been told they can leave. Ex-Foxes loanee Cesare Casadei has also attracted interest from his former club and Torino.
The sales may not stop there. Carney Chukwuemeka, Harvey Vale and Alex Matos could all be available. Meanwhile, Nkunku could be sold due to reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
Whether all these sales materialize and lead to a move for Guehi remains to be seen. Palace boss Oliver Glasner does not expect the defender to be sold, despite only eighteen months left on his contract.
When asked earlier this month whether Guehi will still be at the club next month, he said: “I think so. Not a single player from our team came up to me and said [they] wants to leave. Nobody.
“No one who has played all the games and all the minutes, like Marc, and none of the players who have not played as many minutes. This is the most relevant part: what the player tells me.”
The Austrian added: “If someone comes and says he wants to leave and both clubs find an agreement, I think that will happen. But as long as no player comes – and not Marc – I am not afraid he will leave. January 31 is a long time [away]and I know I will have to answer this question several times. You will hear the same answer again.
Palace recently held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park. The two teams will be in action in the FA Cup: Chelsea will take on Morecambe, while Palace will host Stockport.
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