Chelsea are now trying to sign the £65m “monster” who could be their very own Van Dijk

ChelseaThe season has stalled in recent weeks, but Enzo MarescaThe beginning of life in the dugout still stands as a triumph. The key part going forward is to take this exciting progress and push it to even greater heights.

There is a general emphasis on offloading certain Blues players this year as Chelsea look to stay in line with Premier League PSR rules while creating literally and financially space for well-placed improvements.

But what exactly does BlueCo want to achieve in the transmission market this month? The west Londoners may not be ready to win the league title, but one or two precise signings in the coming weeks could make the difference in the long run.

Chelsea’s winter transfer plans

Although departures will take up more of the discourse this month, Chelsea will sign a first-team deal if they feel the right opportunities present themselves.

Chelsea are ready to sell Renato Veiga, 21, this January after the player made it clear he wanted more first-team football.

It’s a bit of a blow to lose a young talent who only arrived last summer, but Todd Boehly’s side paid around £12m for the Basel star and he could be dealt to Borussia Dortmund, who are said to be keen on his signature for as much as 29 million pounds.

Ben Chilwell and Cesare Casadei is also expected to do his work elsewhere before the month is up.

If Chelsea are going to bring in anyone this month, it will most likely be a centre-back. Paul Winstanley and Co seem to be biding their time, although there is one man firmly at the top of the shopping list.

Maresca is looking for a new central defender for Chelsea

Wesley Fofana is out and may not be back until the end of the season and Benoit Badiashile is also injured. That’s why Chelsea’s odds refrained from ruling out bringing in another centre-half before the end of the term.

Selhurst Park appears to be the likely target of the attack. Trevoh Chalobah is currently on loan at Crystal Palace and could be recalled but Marc Guehi is a greater reward.

According to Caught OffsideChelsea lead the race for Guehi, which they sold to Palace for £18m in 2021 after graduating from Cobham’s academy, noting that they are the only ‘serious contenders’ for his signature.

Chelsea are rumored to be ‘pushing to re-sign’ the centre-back and have been boosted by revelations that Liverpool are not in the running for the England international, but will have to fend off bogus interest from Newcastle United, who have seen a a series of offers reaching £65 million were rejected for Guehi last summer.

Guehi, 24, is in the penultimate year of his contract with the Eagles and could be dissuaded from a contract extension given the high-profile intrigue surrounding his name.

What Marc Guehi would bring to Chelsea

An established and experienced first league defender whose best years are ahead of him? Check. A former Blues youngster, connected and in love with Stamford Bridge and its residents? Check again.

Guehi runs the gamut, with qualities honed within a steely Palace background that has weathered its share of adversity over the past few years, while also upping its game under Oliver Glasner this term, arguably the south Londoners’ most progressive manager in recent seasons.

Chelsea would love to welcome a defensive force into their ranks, as Guehi has won 66% of his Premier League tackles on the ground this season, according to Sofascoremaking up for his reputation as a “monster” at the back Crystal Palace correspondent Bobby Manzi.

He also demonstrates the kind of lively and dynamic skills that Maresca covets, averaging 0.4 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game, succeeding in 82% of his dribbling attempts.

Who knows, this could even turn out to be a deal that echoes Liverpool’s transformational signing of Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk in January 2018, with Jurgen Klopp’s side paying a record fee of £75 million for the Dutch star.

The Reds needed to strengthen their defense and in Van Dijk – the Dutch colossus who became one of the best defenders of his generation – he helped revolutionize Liverpool’s squad, leading from the back as Europe’s biggest titles were won.

Guehi carries himself with the same kind of deceptive nonchalance as Van Dijk. While deceptive is definitely the key word, the Englishman is an intelligent reader of the game with a kind of prescient awareness of opposition attacks, positioning himself to shut down or deflect danger.

Analyst Ben Mattinson actually praised Guehi for being “one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally comfortably.” It’s certainly in the same vein as Van Dijk, who is right-footed but has used his skills on the left side of Liverpool’s back line throughout his career.

A signing of this caliber could even send the Maresca project to the next level, mirroring Liverpool’s stunning acquisition as a January move, yes, but also a raid from a divisional rival further down the ladder, so to speak.

It’s no surprise that Guehi has been described as a “dominant” defender talent hunter Jacek Kulig. He is still on the edge of his prime and, like Van Dijk on Merseyside, could be the catalyst for a glorious spell at Chelsea under Maresca’s wing, completing and balancing an immensely talented squad.