The transfer window is not open yet, but Chelsea have already suffered a major setback in their bid to improve their squad.
Chelsea were trying to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth; however, Real Madrid put a stop to that after swooping in for the 20-year-old.
Chelsea now have no choice but to look elsewhere, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi being one potential alternative.
With the FA Cup winner about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, he should be available this summer. But as well as Guehi, there is another top centre-half who could also be on the market.
Chelsea should make move for Marquinhos
Marquinhos has not been linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge, but the Paris Saint-Germain captain’s time at the Parc des Princes could be coming to an end.
According to L’Equipe, having once been untouchable, PSG are now open to parting ways with Marquinhos this summer.
With Huijsen no longer an option for Chelsea, the Brazilian should be someone the club target. In fact, even before Real Madrid agreed a deal to sign Huijsen, Marquinhos should have been on the Blues’ radar.
He is the kind of central defender Enzo Maresca‘s squad currently lacks. The 31-year-old has experience, leadership skills, trophies and is an all-round terrific defender, something his former teammate Thiago Silva would attest to.
The two enjoyed a successful partnership at PSG before Silva left for Chelsea in 2020. While he is now 40 years of age, Arsenal legend Ian Wright thinks Chelsea could do with Silva today.
What Thiago Silva has said about Marquinhos
At one stage, Silva believed that Marquinhos was in the top three defenders in the world and has claimed that he has even learnt from his compatriot despite him being nine years his junior.
Speaking to Le Parisien (via Le10 Sport) in 2021, Silva said: “I played seven years alongside him, he taught me a lot even though he was younger than me! He looks my age. He is a player who is in the top 3 defenders in the world.”
The likelihood is that Chelsea will go for a much younger defender; it has been their model since being taken over. But for a player of Marquinhos’ quality, you have to make an exception.
