Former Chelsea star embarrasses the club with every game he plays

There is little cause for celebration for the English team as they struggle through Euro 2024, but there is one notable exception at the heart of the Three Lions’ defence.

Before the tournament, the centre-back position had been highlighted as a problem area after manager Gareth Southgate was without long-time favourite Harry Maguire due to injury and the question arose: who would be chosen as his replacement?

Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi may not have been on everyone’s lips as his team struggled with relegation for most of the season and conceded 58 goals.

But the young player was a revelation in Germany, fitting in seamlessly and even helping out the more experienced Kieran Trippier from time to time.

The Londoner is enjoying his role alongside John Stones and expressed his confidence ahead of the round of 16 match against Slovakia, brushing off media criticism of coach Gareth Southgate.

“Everyone is behind the manager and we are a really close-knit group that is only focused on the next game. Everyone appreciates him, especially me,” he said.

“He gave me my debut for England and showed so much faith in me. I’m really grateful and I’m sure the rest of the team are too.”

Despite some uninspiring performances, Guehi was confident the team was in good shape.

“It’s a quiet and focused camp. Everyone is just focused on the next task at hand,” Guehi said.

“I think what creates confidence is unity and performance. We haven’t lost a game yet. It’s important for us to control what we can control.”

As much as observers in south London enjoyed watching Guehi’s performances, the imposing presence of their star in the west of the city is likely to have caused annoyance at his old club Chelsea.

After all, he was her man for a long time. Guehi joined the Blues as a seven-year-old and was part of an impressive crop of young players who came of age at the start of the decade.

But unlike Reece James or Conor Gallagher, he never had the opportunity to showcase his skills at Chelsea.

Despite an impressive loan spell at Swansea City, Guehi was sold to Crystal Palace for $22 million.

He was one of several new signings by promising young manager Patrick Viera as he attempted to inject fresh blood into the South London team.

The move paid off almost immediately for Guehi, as less than a year after starting his career at Crystal Palace, the young player made his first appearances for England.

Before an FA Cup semi-final against his old club, he thought about his decision and was sure it was the right one.

“I thought the decision to leave Chelsea and join Palace was the right one to get playing time and hopefully show what I can do,” he added.

“Coming here didn’t mean it was a given that I would play – I still had to prove myself, work hard, train hard, but I definitely thought the club would give me the platform to do that.

“Patrick has definitely made me think about the game in a completely different way, both very tactically and especially on the ball because I have improved a lot in my decision-making.

“At this level, one step above the championship, it’s really tough, so every decision you make is vital and can lead to an important or decisive part of the game. He definitely helped in that respect.”

Chelsea reportedly included sell-on incentives and the opportunity to match future offers as part of Guehi’s transfer fee, but it is inevitable that the Blues would have been much better off keeping him in west London.

In Chelsea’s defence last season, Axel Disasi or Benoit Badiashile played alongside 39-year-old Thiago Silva, but neither of them came anywhere close to the performance that Guehi showed at the European Championships.

With a dismal defense, it was a season to forget for the Blues.

And while both Manchester United and Liverpool are currently being linked with a transfer of the Crystal Palace centre-half, the Blues will be lucky if they can find any high-profile buyers for any of the defenders in their first-team squad, with the exception of the injury-prone Wesley Fofana.

As Guehi continues to demonstrate his ability to handle the significant pressure that comes with wearing the Three Lions shirt, the likelihood is increasing that Chelsea will have to spend big to bring him back or watch the Palace star move elsewhere for a hefty fee.

If it were a one-off deal, that would be acceptable, but he joins a long list of young Chelsea players who have established themselves elsewhere since leaving.

For a club that has spent over a billion dollars to sign the best talent in world football, it should be a huge embarrassment that by the time the 2024 European Championship comes around, a player they did not previously have in their own squad has established himself as a world-class player.