“What have you done”: Some fans react as Chelsea confirm departure of academy graduate

Fans react as Chelsea defender Marc Guehi joins Crystal Palace

As confirmed on the club’s official website, Chelsea defender Marc Guehi has completed a permanent transfer to Premier League outfit Crystal Palace.

Guehi, 21, is a product of the Chelsea youth academy. The centre-back made his first-team debut in a Carabao Cup tie last season and made another appearance before signing for Swansea City on loan in January 2020. He instantly became a key member of Steve Cooper’s side that missed out on promotion last time out.

Back at Chelsea at the end of the season, Guehi was immediately sent to the Liberty Stadium for another temporary spell. And the 21-year-old impressed yet again, making 45 appearances across all competitions, helping the Swans to a fourth-place finish and a spot in the promotion playoffs.

Marc Guehi has left Chelsea for Crystal Palace

Guehi returned to the club after yet another impressive spell in the Championship. But given the number of options at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal, a chance in the first-team was always going to be difficult.

Earlier this week, the Evening Standard reported that the Blues had accepted an offer worth around £20m for the defender. And now Chelsea have confirmed that the deal has been completed, with Guehi making the switch to Selhurst Park.

He now becomes the third major departure of the summer, following in the footsteps of Fikayo Tomori and Olivier Giroud, both of whom signed for AC Milan. Fans were split over the decision to offload Guehi, with several claiming that the club could come to regret selling the 21-year-old while there were quite a few who felt cashing in on him was the right move.