Marc Guehi of England during the UEFA U19 Championship Qualifier between Greece U19 and England U19 at St Georges Park on March 23, 2019 in Burton-upon-Trent, England. (Getty Images)
According to the Sun, Southampton are battling with Norwich City for the signature of Chelsea’s highly-rated defender Marc Guehi.
Marc Guehi, 19, who signed a new long-term deal with the Blues in September, is the latest prodigious young talent to emerge at Stamford Bridge, having appeared twice for the first-team under Frank Lampard.
But Chelsea want the teenager to get some experience and step up his development, hence deciding to send him out on loan in January, the Sun claims.
Swansea City, Bristol City and Nottingham Forest are also interested in the 19-year-old centre-back, who has been at Chelsea since he was spotted playing in South-East London at the age of nine, the report adds. Nonetheless, it is Southampton who must look to win the race for Guehi’s signature in January.
Southampton are battling relegation this season but Saturday’s victory over Aston Villa gave Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side a real boost ahead of the busy run of fixtures.
The Saints need to get positive results on board to climb the table but new additions in January could prove to be the difference this season. With the joint-worst defensive record in the division, it’s a no-brainer on Hasenhuttl’s part to bring in defensive reinforcements.
Southampton have conceded far too many goals this season, with none of Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek or Maya Yoshida impressing in central defence. Thus, the Saints are eyeing a loan move for Marc Guehi to bolster their hopes of maintaining top-flight status.
Guehi is in the formative years of his career at 19 but his talent has seen him represent England Under-21s six times already. He is Chelsea U23’s skipper and has played for the senior team twice in the EFL Cup this season under the tutelage of Lampard.
With Fikayo Tomori, Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and Antonio Rudiger all ahead of him, there’s no way the 19-year-old defender is going to get regular opportunities in the Premier League. So sending the England Under-21 international on loan makes sense and a move to Southampton should be perfect.
Hasenhuttl has an excellent track record of nurturing young talents and could help Guehi in the developmental stage of his career.
In return, Guehi would add freshness and energy to Southampton’s backline with his youthful exuberance. The Ivory Coast-born defender could make an instant impact at St. Mary’s by strengthening a problematic area for Hasenhuttl.
With that in mind, the promising teenager would certainly be a worthy signing for Hasenhuttl, who has already illustrated his proficiency to extract the best out of several young players at the St. Mary’s.
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