Newcastle target £38m Chelsea star as Marc Guehi transfer stalls

A surprise Chelsea star has reportedly emerged as a target for Newcastle United should they fail to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

Newcastle made Guehi their no.1 defensive target this summer following the centre-back's eye-catching performances at Euro 2024.

However, prizing the England international away from Selhurst Park has proved incredibly tricky, with the Magpies having four bids rejected by the Eagles.

The latest of those was worth up to £65million, with Palace holding firm on their £70m valuation of the 24-year-old.

The chances of Guehi being sold this summer appear to have also taken a blow with the news that fellow Palace centre-back Joachim Andersen is moving to Fulham for £30m.

It seems highly unlikely that Oliver Glasner would be content to lose his best two defenders in the space of a few days especially given how key their partnership has been for the club since their arrival in 2021.

With all that taken into account, The Athletic report that Newcastle have 'stepped up' the search for an alternative centre-back signing, with Chelsea's Axel Disasi of great interest.

The France International only moved to Stamford Bridge from Monaco last summer in a transfer worth over £38m and has a contract until 2029.

Also capable of playing at right-back, the 26-year-old was a key player for Mauricio Pochettino, making 44 appearances in his debut season, but is yet to feature for Enzo Maresca after missing all of pre-season after undergoing a hernia operation.

He wasn't in the squad for the opening weekend defeat to Manchester City and with so many outgoings and incomings at Stamford Bridge, it is in the realms of possibility that he could be sold before the transfer deadline in just over a week.

Additionally, it is said Newcastle have made contact with Bayer Leverkusen over their centre-back Edmond Tapsoba who has been linked with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea over the past few years.