Chelsea To Pursue This Crystal Palace Defender: Good Decision From Pochettino?

According to a report from The Sun, Chelsea have apparently eliminated the possibility of signing Harry Maguire and have turned their attention to a different target. It has been stated that Mauricio Pochettino has decided against pursuing a move for Maguire and is now inclined towards securing a deal for Crystal Palace’s talented player, Marc Guehi.

Guehi’s Impressive Season With Crystal Palace

Guehi played an important role in Crystal Palace’s squad last season when he put in several solid displays for them on the defensive end of the field. The English talent made 38 appearances for the English outfit finding the back of the net once in the previous campaign.

The 23-year-old gave a good account of himself when defending inside his half, as he averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 3.6

clearances per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He was even excellent when distributing the ball from the back based on his pass completion rate of 85.5% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).

Good Decision From Chelsea Boss Mauricio Pochettino?

Guehi is a strong and physical defender who is good in the air, and he is also good at defending set pieces. This would be a major asset for the Blues, as they have often struggled to defend set pieces. Additionally, Guehi is a good reader of the game and is good at positioning himself to make some crucial tackles. He is also quick to clear his lines in the wake of imminent danger from the opposition attackers.

The 23-year-old would be a great addition to Chelsea’s defensive department. He is a young, talented defender with all the qualities to succeed at Stamford Bridge. He would provide competition for the other central defenders and be a good long-term investment.

Hence, the Blues have done well to back out of their pursuit of Harry Maguire, as he could have cost them more than what Guehi would come for. If the West London club manage to acquire Guehi’s signature this summer, then he could very well be a shrewd acquisition for them.

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Crystal Palace: Eagles enter race for David Soria

The Getafe goalkeeper could be brought in to replace Vicente Guaita

Crystal Palace have now entered the race to sign Getafe goalkeeper David Soria, who could be brought in as a replacement for Vicente Guaita, according to reports from Spain.

What’s the latest Crystal Palace transfer news?

Palace offered Guaita a new contract earlier in the transfer window, with it being reported that the Spaniard is happy at Selhurst Park, and is willing to battle Sam Johnstone for a place in the starting XI next season – however, he is yet to sign a new deal.

The 36-year-old has just one year remaining on his current contract, meaning his future is in doubt, and he has now emerged as a transfer target for Getafe, as reported by Marca (via Sport Witness).

Getafe are targeting Guaita as a potential replacement for Soria, who has now been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Nottingham Forest recently making their interest clear.

The Eagles have also now joined the race for the 30-year-old, viewing him as an option to replace their current goalkeeper, amid the doubt surrounding his future at Selhurst Park, given that he is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract.

In summary, Palace entering the race for Soria has caused Getafe to look at replacements for their goalkeeper, and Guaita has been “sounded loud” as a possible target, meaning the two clubs could end up swapping their goalkeepers this summer.

How good is David Soria?

Journalist Alvaro Canibe has recently hailed the £25k-per-week shot-stopper for the influence he has in the dressing room, as well as for his performances on the pitch, saying: “Thumbs up for David Soria. His excellent level on the pitch has only been surpassed by his courage, leadership and attitude off it. This season has made his importance clear. Captain without the armband. Colossal.

With an average Sofascore match rating of 6.97, the 6 foot 3 colossus was ranked as Getafe’s second-best performing player in La Liga last season, and he particularly impressed when it came to saving penalties.

Up until April 8th last season, the Getafe star had saved four of the seven penalties he’d faced, more than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues at that stage of the campaign.

Not only that, but the Madrid-born goalkeeper’s save percentage in general is also very impressive, stopping an average of 75.3% of the shots he has faced per 90 over the course of the past year, placing him in the 81st percentile when compared to his positional peers.

The only potential criticism that could be made of the former Sevilla man is that he does not appear to be particularly good with his feet, given that he ranks in the 99th percentile for number of passes launched, and he is only in the 13th percentile for touches per 90.

That said, Soria could still be a really solid signing for Crystal Palace, as he would be more than capable of pushing Johnstone for a place in the starting XI next season.