Ahead of crystal palace FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea, Mark Gei was asked if he is currently one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He replied at the pre-match press conference: "I have to say I'm far away. I was far away. 'This humility can only be one of the reasons Chelsea regrets selling the centre-back last summer. That's the right answer," Crystal Palace boss Vieira said, which made reporters laugh out loud, "he has potential." This answer really tells you what kind of person he is. Yes, some people say these things, but he really means it. You just have to look at how he performs every day in training and pay attention to details. He wants to be a better player. He has a great chance of success because he is really ready to work hard to improve himself. That's what we want to sign players with a lot of potential and great performance. His interaction with us as a player was positive because he was ready to do extra work after training to try and improve. This makes our job easier. ”
Even today, many Blues fans struggle to understand how their club sold De Bruyne, Salah and Lukaku and watched them become the stars of Europe. De Bruyne and Salah, for their part, have never returned to Chelsea, while Lukaku returned to Chelsea with a record club transfer fee of £100 million after winning the league title with Inter Milan. Like Guy, all three players have a humble, hard-working attitude. His answer that he was miles away from the top was something the head coach liked to hear, but he believed that one day he would reach the top.
Under Vieira, he had more chances to start than any other player, helping them reach the FA Cup semi-finals, despite losing 2-0 to his former club. "Leaving Chelsea was not an easy decision for me," Gei told the media earlier this season during a national team training camp, when he was first called up by England. 'It's very important for any young player to get playtime, that's the most important thing for me. He said ahead of last weekend's game: "The decision to leave Chelsea for Crystal Palace was the right one, it was to win game time and show what I was capable of. ”
He has since become the youngest captain in the Premier League and the club's youngest captain in a decade. Guy has played in 30 league games and he is the third youngest defender to reach that number in Europe's top five leagues this season. The figures are unmatched by any other young England centre-back. Formerly a member of England U21, Guy has now been selected for the national team by Southgate, surpassing another Blues academy graduate, AC Milan's Tomori in the picks.
When you pick players for praise, it's easy to overlook the Ivorian-born defender. He was not aggressive, on the contrary, he carried out his duties with steely determination and determination. You'll feel like he's always in control, using his well-known wit and speed rather than winning duels on his own. Not only is he a great defensive player, he also has the ability to attack, and he can also score goals through set pieces. Of course, this is not news for those who followed him closely as a teenager. His bloodline has always been a purebred defender. He has honed his skills at both Cobham and St George's Park, playing for England's youth teams since U15, while winning the Under-17 World Cup with Steve Cooper's England and scoring in the final. Before making his debut on a team coached by Frank Lampard in 2019, he won the Treble with Chelsea U18 in an excellent season.
Now away from the Blues, it seems like a mistake for the club to lose him so cheaply. Guy is now worth far more than he was sold. Chelsea have a sale clause that could earn more from any potential sale in the future, and from 2023 onwards, he has a buy-back right attached to his contract. This means that if a club bids for Gei starting next season, Chelsea will have the right to match that offer. Like Romelu Lukaku, the homegrown star has hopes of returning, but the Blues may feel a twinge of regret right away, with centre-backs being the number one issue they face in the upcoming transfer market. Christensen will travel to Barcelona, and uncertainty remains about the future of Rudiger and Azpilicueta.
Chelsea coach Tuchel gave his opinion of Guy in an interview a few days ago. "It's a decision we made together, and we're happy with those decisions," Tuchel said, "at this point, you can't go back." Given the current situation, this was right when we made our decision. For Mark Guey, this is an amazing development. It is impossible to say now that if we left him, he would be better, worse or the same. Maybe he needs this (to leave). Maybe he needs to change circumstances, a different club, a different role, more time to develop your full potential. It's just telling you time and time again that if you trust young players and let them play a role, they can live up to expectations and even exceed performance. It's great to see so many Chelsea players in every league. We are well aware of that. It's great to play against them and see them develop. ”
It is believed that after a direct confrontation with Crystal Palace, Tuchel has begun to calculate how to bring this young man of Chelsea descent back and forth to Stamford Bridge in the future.