€50m Chelsea HIJACK changes everything for Marc Guehi

Tom Weber

• Updated: 21 Nov 2025 08:53 GMT
• 4 min read

News

Chelsea are in the mix to hijack Crystal Palace's proposed deal for Sporting CP star Ousmane Diomande, which could doom Liverpool's January pursuit of Marc Guehi.

The England star remains high on the Reds' agenda heading into the winter window after a €40 million summer move collapsed because Crystal Palace had a deal for Brighton defender Igor hijacked by West Ham.

Liverpool are believed to be the only credible threat to the Eagles for their captain in January, but it could be a case of deja vu for Guehi, according to TEAMtalk.

Compared

Marc Guéhi 

D (CL)

C. Palace

Marc Guéhi 

D (CL)

C. Palace

VS

Ousmane Diomandé

D (C)

Sporting CP

Ousmane Diomandé

D (C)

Sporting CP

€45.2M	ETV	€39.2M
€40.7M - €49.7M	ETV Range	€35.3M - €43.1M
25 years old (13 Jul, 2000)	Age	21 years old (04 Dec, 2003)
England	Nationality	Cote d'Ivoire

That is because Chelsea are ready to rival Palace for their preferred replacement. Already in the summer, the Selhurst Park club attempted to complete the ambitious signing of Sporting CP defender Diomande, but the Lisbon giants played hardball.

The report claims that Palace will return for the Ivorian in January and that they are prepared to obliterate their €31.2 million transfer record by shelling out north of €50m on Diomande.

Chelsea to hijack Diomande deal?

Sporting are said to be demanding around €55m, which would be a hefty outlay for a club like Palace, but still significantly more affordable than Diomande's €80m release clause.

The problem is that Chelsea are said to be lurking in the background, ready to flex their financial muscle. Enzo Maresca has demanded defensive reinforcements, and Diomande is a long-standing Blues target.

The fact that he is equally comfortable in a back three and a back four makes him incredibly attractive to Maresca, and worryingly for Palace, Chelsea would have no problem matching Sporting's asking price.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese giants are trying to tie the 21-year-old down to a new contract until 2030. His current terms expire in 2027, so if they can't agree an extension, they will have to sell him in 2026.

Football transfer news headlines today

TRANSFER RUMOURS: Man Utd double swoop as Vini Jr shock revealed

Arsenal chase €80m superstar after Man Utd exit

Celtic handed HUGE boost as unlikely Chelsea transfer edges closer

Crystal Palace issue strong Marc Guehi response after Man Utd bombshell

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store