Strict wage structure could complicate Chelsea transfer deal with London rivals | OneFootball

Chelsea could reportedly face a major obstacle to signing Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi due to his high wage demands and the strict structure they have in place at Stamford Bridge.

Guehi has been a key player for Palace since he left Chelsea to move to Selhurst Park earlier in his career, having previously failed to make it into the Blues’ first-team.

Since then, however, Guehi has developed into a top Premier League defender and it makes sense that he’s now being talked about as someone who could once again play for one of the big six.

According to the Daily Mirror, however, Chelsea might not find it easy to get a deal done for Guehi this January, with a move for the England international looking more realistic for the summer.

Chelsea need to think about if they can afford Marc Guehi

Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace during the Carabao Cup defeat to Arsenal (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Guehi’s wages are an issue for the structure in place at Chelsea under this current ownership, which tends to prioritise longer deals on slightly lower wages.

The Mirror suggest, though, that Guehi could command as much as £200,000 a week, so the deal might be more affordable once the 24-year-old gets closer to the end of his Palace contract.

That would at least bring Guehi’s transfer fee down, as the Eagles will come under growing pressure to sell for below market value in order to avoid potentially losing him on a free transfer.

Guehi’s current Palace deal expires in summer 2026, so that could mean CFC would be in a strong position to get a good deal for him in a few months’ time.

Fabrizio Romano recently spoke to CaughtOffside about Chelsea’s defensive targets, mentioning Guehi but also others such as Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo.

“Guehi is appreciated, and he has 18 months left on his contract at Crystal Palace, so let’s see what Chelsea decide to do,” Romano said.

“Tomas Araujo at Benfica is another player they appreciate at Chelsea – they already wanted him last summer.”