Joe Cole calls for Chelsea investigation over Marc Guehi exit

Joe Cole has called for an internal investigation at Chelsea after Marc Guehi’s rise continued to haunt his former club, following the defender’s goalscoring return to Stamford Bridge in Manchester City’s 3-0 victory over the Blues on the weekend.

The former Chelsea midfielder believes the decision to let the academy graduate leave should be scrutinised at boardroom level, arguing that the club’s long-term defensive planning has repeatedly failed to capitalise on its own talent pipeline.

Guehi, once seen as a product of Chelsea’s academy system, punished his former side with a composed display and a goal that underlined his rapid development at elite level.

Marc Guehi returned to Stamford Bridge in emphatic fashion, helping Manchester City secure a comprehensive 3-0 win.

The defender capped his performance with a goal that further highlighted Chelsea’s defensive struggles this season, as the hosts were once again exposed by a player they developed from a young age before allowing him to move on.

Joe Cole did not hold back when assessing Guehi’s impact, questioning Chelsea’s decision-making in a strongly worded assessment on The Dressing Room Podcast:

“I’m looking at him and I’m thinking: how has this kid got a Manchester City shirt on? The team should have been built around him five years ago.

“Whoever has let him out the door at Chelsea… if I’m the owner, I’m going, ‘Right, who’s decision, or what collective of people’s decision, was it to think it was a good idea to let this kid leave the club?’.

He added that Guehi’s goal symbolised Chelsea’s ongoing recruitment and structural concerns, particularly in defence, where the club continues to invest heavily despite previous academy departures returning to punish them in major fixtures once again at Stamford Bridge on occasion.

“For me, the big moment in the game from a Chelsea perspective, and from a Manchester City perspective, was when Marc Guehi scored the goal.”