Chelsea told ‘absolutely crackers’ £40m transfer decision could cost them this season
Jermaine Pennant insists it was an “absolutely crackers” decision from Chelsea to not try and sign Marc Guehi over the summer transfer window.
The Blues will miss Levi Colwill for most of the 2025/26 season after the Chelsea centre-back picked up an ACL injury in training and has since undergone surgery.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah have started most of their matches as the centre-back pairing this season, although Wesley Fofana started in place of Adarabioyo in their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United over the weekend.
One player who could have been useful for Chelsea this season is Guehi, who ended up pursuing a move to Liverpool on deadline day, only for Crystal Palace to pull the plug on a deal at the last minute.
Guehi was on the verge of a £35m move to Liverpool but Crystal Palace would have done business earlier in the window for a bigger price and Pennant reckons Chelsea should have been in for the England international.
Pennant said on talkSPORT: “That one is absolutely crackers, that, to not go for Guehi.
READ: WSL winner and loser: Hampton the smiling, Yashin Trophy-winning sh*thouse and pointless Hammers
“When you lose your main centre-back — out for the season — and you’ve got Guehi available. 40 million, just to make sure the deal’s done and they don’t go do it.”
Jamie Carragher has been critical of the Chelsea ownership over the past week and claimed that they are no better off than when Clearlake Capital first took over at Stamford Bridge.
Carragher said: “My criticism with Chelsea is that in the actual three and a half years [the owners] have been there that you can still have that team and we are saying no chance for the league.
“And Chelsea fans know that. If you go back to Chelsea teams that won the league, who did they have as goalies? (Petr) Cech and (Thibaut) Courtois.
MORE CHELSEA COVERAGE FROM F365…
👉 Six crazy Ballon d’Or rankings and where they should have finished
👉 Chelsea top scorers against the Big Six: Chalobah third-highest in current squad
👉 Maresca criticises Chelsea star who ‘made a right hash of it’ in defeat to Man Utd
“That just tells you everything you need to know as a Chelsea fan, and my big problem is nothing to do with Maresca as such, but that three and a half years in, with the money that’s been spent, you turn up at Old Trafford with the goalkeeper and the centre-backs that you’ve got.
“That just can’t win you the league. There is no league in 100 years where the standard of those players in those positions for Chelsea right now can win the league. It just can’t happen.”
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has revealed that the Blues are monitoring Cole Palmer day by day as he continues to struggle with a groin issue.
Speaking at a press conference, Maresca said: “Cole is probably the only one that we need to assess a little bit. The rest are okay, just recovering from last week.
“He did already a huge effort last Saturday to try and play the game. He tried Saturday morning, he was not 100 per cent but he wants to be there to help teammates in that kind of game.
“It was painful so we decided to change. We await day-by-day to see how he is and then decide what we do.”
When asked about the possibility of Palmer needing an operation, Maresca added: “The medical staff didn’t mention to me about surgery until today. I don’t know if it will be in the next weeks, but I don’t think so to be honest.”
READ NEXT: A title race! Gyokeres! Bournemouth! Potter! Top 10 things we’ve already got wrong this season
