Chelsea are working to again Enzo Maresca with the signing of a centre-back within the January switch window, they usually’ve reportedly reached out to the representatives of a Premier League star this week.
Chelsea’s defensive scarcity laid naked after summer time failure
Maresca went public along with his want to usher in a high defender through the summer time, coming after Chelsea failed with a transfer for Dean Huijsen and Levi Colwill was sidelined for almost all of 2025/2026.
“The membership know precisely what I believe,” Maresca stated after Colwill’s harm.
“I believe we’d like a central defender. We’re on the lookout for an inside answer however as I stated, the membership know precisely what I believe.”
Regardless of taking a look at their choices, Chelsea could not discover the proper profile to return in and bolster Maresca’s backline (Simon Phillips), and BlueCo at the moment are paying the value.
Chelsea have been the summer time’s second-biggest spenders behind Liverpool, in response to the BBC, however regardless of their giant funding in recruitment, they failed to deal with key areas defensively with Maresca left extraordinarily brief.
The Premier League’s greatest summer time spenders | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Workforce | Spent | Obtained | Web Spend |
Liverpool | £415,000,000 | £187,000,000 | £228,000,000 |
Chelsea | £285,000,000 | £288,000,000 | -£3,000,000 |
Arsenal | £255,000,000 | £9,000,000 | £246,000,000 |
Newcastle | £250,000,000 | £152,000,000 | £98,000,000 |
Man Utd | £216,000,000 | £68,000,000 | £148,000,000 |
Nottm Forest | £205,000,000 | £107,000,000 | £98,000,000 |
Tottenham | £181,000,000 | £36,000,000 | £145,000,000 |
Sunderland | £162,000,000 | £44,000,000 | £118,000,000 |
Man Metropolis | £152,000,000 | £53,000,000 | £99,000,000 |
West Ham | £124,000,000 | £55,000,000 | £69,000,000 |
through BBC | |||
Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Colwill all missed Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Benfica within the Champions League by way of harm, and with Trevoh Chalobah suspended for his or her crunch Premier League conflict in opposition to Liverpool this weekend, Maresca has simply three choices to select from.
Fofana and Tosin will not return till after the October worldwide break, with the previous present process concussion protocol and the latter nursing a calf drawback.
This leaves Maresca with Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato and Benoit Badiashile as his solely central defensive selections, so it’s possible the Italian will go for a pairing of Hato and Badiashile for Liverpool’s go to to Stamford Bridge.
Hato is regarded by Chelsea as extra of a left-back to assist Marc Cucurella (Ben Jacobs), whereas Badiashile is himself solely simply getting back from a long-term harm — having made a primary begin in three months in opposition to Benfica on Tuesday evening.
It’s a dire scenario, and one which can undoubtedly frustrate Maresca behind-the-scenes after he was clear that the membership want extra central defensive choices.
In line with studies, Chelsea and Maresca are in settlement that the signing of a centre-back ought to be prioritised for January, with the west Londoners now at work on discovering the proper profile (Pete O’Rourke).
Chelsea maintain talks with Marc Guehi forward of potential January deal
Now, as per journalist Simon Phillips, Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is being mentioned as an choice for January.
The England worldwide, who was on the verge of becoming a member of Liverpool in a summer time deadline day transfer, might depart for a really low-cost charge mid-season or totally free subsequent summer time, and Chelsea are fascinated with luring Guehi away from Selhurst as quickly as the following window.
Phillips studies that Chelsea have reached out to Guehi’s camp for discussions this week as they make centre-back enquiries, and Palace would somewhat promote in January than lose him for nothing later in 2026.
“Chelsea have made new enquiries this week in an try to signal a brand new defender within the up coming January switch window,” Phillips wrote, through his Substack.
“Chelsea have as soon as once more made contact with the brokers of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi.
“It’s because they’re making an attempt to revive a January deal for Guehi and get him on a less expensive deal that they might have gotten him for in the summertime.
“Chelsea made enquiries for Guehi in the summertime, however sources inform us that it was solely Liverpool have been have been actually pushing to signal him. Now Guehi’s value will probably be less expensive within the winter and Guehi can have much more choices — Chelsea will probably be one, Tottenham will probably be one other.
“Palace would somewhat promote for a charge in January than lose him on a free in the summertime.”
The “sensational” defender, who left Cobham for Palace in 2021, can be the proper answer to Chelsea’s defensive disaster.
January may very well be too quickly for Marc Guehi’s Palace exit
Guehi has established himself as an England common and Premier League stalwart throughout his time at Palace, and he may very well be one of many snips of 2026 as his contract ticks down in direction of expiry on the finish of this season.
Nonetheless, it is rather debatable whether or not Oliver Glasner can be pleased with chairman Steve Parish promoting his star defender halfway by way of the marketing campaign, and this would definitely threaten to trigger a stir contemplating simply how essential Guehi is to Palace.
The Eagles are at present on an 18-game unbeaten run and Glasner actually will not be eager on shedding a participant who’s so important to his set-up, except Palace handle to supply a top quality substitute.
Experiences in the summertime even prompt that Glasner threatened to go away Palace if Guehi was bought to Liverpool, with the switch later known as off, however this has since been denied by the tactician.
