Oliver Glasner has made it clear that Trevoh Chalobah wants to stay at Crystal Palace, even as rumors swirl about Chelsea recalling him in January.
After being left out of Chelsea’s first-team last summer, Chalobah joined Palace on loan, where he’s become a key figure in defense alongside Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi, who is also a target for Chelsea.
Earlier in the month, Glasner expressed a desire to sign Chalobah permanently, with Chelsea expected to accept an offer of £25 million.
However, following injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, reports suggest Chelsea might recall Chalobah.
Despite this, Enzo Maresca has neither confirmed nor denied Chelsea’s intentions, but speculation increased after Palace’s FA Cup win against Stockport County.
Glasner had planned to start Chalobah, but the defender was surprisingly left out of the matchday squad. Speaking about his absence, Glasner explained it as a “contractual issue,” noting that Chalobah couldn’t play due to legal reasons.
Glasner clarified that he was only informed late on Saturday night that Chalobah would be unavailable, while Maresca claimed to have no knowledge of the situation.
The comments could suggest Chelsea is set to trigger Chalobah’s recall clause, but Glasner remains confident that both Chalobah and Guehi want to stay at Selhurst Park.
“We still have time in the transfer window, and as always, anything can happen,” said Glasner. “But when you ask me, I want to keep this squad together. I know Trevoh and Marc want to stay, and so do we.”
While Chalobah’s absence may be a setback, Glasner remains focused on the team’s upcoming match against Leicester City. He expects Chalobah to be available and back in action soon. Palace, with or without Chalobah, will travel to Leicester, while Chelsea hosts Bournemouth.