Chelsea could activate 'Marc Guehi discount' as Blues look to re-sign England defender from Crystal Palace

According to the Daily Mail, initial discussions between Chelsea and Palace took place in early January and have continued over the following weeks. The Eagles have set Guehi's asking price at approximately £60 million ($73m), a figure Chelsea finds steep given the player’s contract, which has 18 months remaining.

Chelsea are well-positioned to negotiate a more favourable deal for Guehi, thanks to a sell-on clause included when the defender moved to Palace for £18m ($22m) in 2021. The clause grants Chelsea 20 per cent of any future transfer fee and the right to match offers from other clubs. This contractual provision could effectively act as a discount, reducing the financial burden on Chelsea. While there were initial talks of waiving the sell-on clause to simplify negotiations, Palace’s high valuation appears to have been factored in the potential discount.

Chelsea had explored the possibility of including Chalobah as part of the deal for Guehi to lower the transfer fee. However, they dropped that possibility and recalled the defender from his loan at Selhurst Park on a separate deal.

It is understood that Guehi’s salary demands are around £170,000 per week. If signed, this would place him among the highest earners at Chelsea, a significant commitment under the current wage structure implemented by the club's ownership group. While Guehi is reportedly aware of Chelsea’s interest, the west London club has yet to formalise a bid. Sources close to the situation suggest Chelsea may put their pursuit of Guehi on hold unless Palace lower their asking price.