Crystal Palace would have been disappointed to have seen Trevoh Chalobah return to Chelsea last week.
Trevoh Chalobah joined Crystal Palace on loan last summer and was impressing at Selhurst Park.
In total, the central defender made 12 Premier League appearances and scored three goals before being recalled by Chelsea.
It is a good job that the Eagles did not get too attached to Chalobah, though, as a permanent move there always looked unlikely. Chalobah starred in Chelsea’s 3-1 win against Wolves on Monday, helping them return to the top four.
Trevoh Chalobah keen to compete for trophies and play in Europe
After the start Chalobah made to life at Selhurst Park, Palace may have been interested in a permanent deal if one was affordable.
However, it would have taken some convincing to get the 25-year-old to sign a long-term contract at the club it seems.
According to BBC Sport, Chalobah joining Palace was always unlikely because “he wants to” compete for trophies and play European football.
While the Eagles have become a stable Premier League club, they would not have been able to offer him either.
Chelsea obviously can, but the Blues do not look desperate to keep hold of their academy graduate despite recalling him. In fact, it is thought that Chelsea are still willing to sell Chalobah in the same transfer window that they recalled the centre-half in.
Chelsea wanted Trevoh Chalobah to join Crystal Palace permanently
While Chalobah was not keen on staying at Palace beyond this season, it is something that Chelsea were clearly open to.
After registering their interest in Marc Guehi, it was claimed that Chelsea planned to offer Chalobah to Palace in a potential cash-plus-player deal for their star defender.
Things never got that far, though, and Chalobah is now back at Chelsea, where he has managed to make an instant impact.
Without him, they may not have beaten Wolves on Monday. His defending was top-notch on the night. Alan Smith described one of Chalobah’s tackles as “beautifully timed”.
