Sky Sports announce Chelsea transfer U-turn - set to impact Newcastle United after £60m bid submitted

Newcastle tried hard to sign Guehi from Crystal Palace in the summer, making a series of bids but weren’t willing to match Crystal Palace’s £70million asking price for the 24-year-old. The Gazette understands Newcastle’s final bid for Guehi during the summer transfer window was in the region of £60million and was submitted well before deadline day.

Newcastle retain an interest in the England international, who is out of contract in the summer of 2026. While The Magpies were in pole position to sign Guehi in the summer, they now face increased competition from Chelsea.

The Blues also hold a significant advantage over Newcastle after being the ones who sold Guehi to Palace for £18million in 2021. Chelsea inserted a clause that would allow them to match any offer from another club as well as a 20% sell-on percentage.

While Chelsea would technically be paying the sell-on back to themselves via Palace, it effectively allows the club to agree a cut-price deal for the defender. According to Sky Sports, Chelsea are looking to sign a centre-back following an injury to Wesley Fofana.

Any deal for Guehi this month would represent the most significant Premier League transfer of the January transfer window.

In the summer, The Blues beat Newcastle to the free transfer of Tosin Adarabioyo following his release from Fulham. The 27-year-old has since been limited to seven Premier League starts this season but remains a centre-back option for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe remained coy on Newcastle’s pursuit of Guehi in the summer, he has since admitted the defender was a target, though not the only one.

“[Guehi] wasn’t the only target,” Howe said on the Up Front with Simon Jordan Podcast. “A lot goes into a summer, you never just have one target - that wouldn’t be right.

“We went into the summer with several targets and we tried to sign two or three other players but we didn’t get them.

“We ended up towards the end of the window with one target and we didn’t get him so that was it.”