£60m CB now among Chelsea’s top targets; he’s “one of the best” in England

Chelsea have now identified one of the Premier League’s best defenders as a top target for the summer transfer window, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Chelsea set out to sign new centre-back

The summer transfer window is edging ever closer, and it has become apparent that the Blues are looking to upgrade their defence, with several potential targets being identified at centre-back.

Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite is one of the options from within the Premier League, with the west Londoners looking at taking the Englishman to Stamford Bridge this summer, while they have also set their sights on Benfica’s Tomas Araujo.

The interest in Araujo came about after missing out on AFC Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen, who has now agreed to join Real Madrid after a stellar debut campaign with the Cherries, with internal talks also being held over a move for versatile Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.

However, in a recent interview with Football Insider, Brown has now revealed that a different centre-back could well be Chelsea’s first-choice centre-back signing for the summer, transfer window, namely Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi.

Brown said: “There’s been a clear improvement and he’s now one of the best in the country, starts for England and has led his team to winning the FA Cup.

“I know Chelsea have been looking at him as one of their top targets at centre-back. Obviously, he came through their academy so they know him well. They’re not the only ones interested, though, so they might have to move quickly.”

Guehi could be excellent signing for Chelsea

Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City was one of the major shocks of the season, and Guehi played an instrumental role in the Eagles’ success, helping his side pick up clean sheets in the final three rounds of the competition.

Indeed, the last goal Palace conceded in the FA Cup was against Millwall in the round of 16, with their captain playing a particularly important part in their semi-final triumph against Aston Villa by making a number of key defensive contributions to keep Unai Emery’s side at bay.

In what will come as good news for Chelsea, there are signs that Palace’s asking price for the centre-back may also have dropped, as a £60m fee could now be enough, despite knocking back a £70m bid from Tottenham Hotspur back in January.

Not only that, but Enzo Maresca has also admitted he is a fan of Guehi in the past, so Chelsea should undoubtedly look to get a deal for the England international done this summer.