Crystal Palace's decision to sign Marc Guehi from Chelsea has proven to be a masterclass, as his value has rocketed since his move to Selhurst Park.

The Eagles brought the centre-back in on a deal worth £18m after he had impressed on loan with Swansea City in the Championship, helping the Welsh side reach the playoff final in 2021.

During his time with the Swans, Guehi would make 59 appearances across two separate loan spells, averaging an impressive 6.90 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the 2020/21 campaign.

That was enough to convince Chelsea to give him a chance in the first team, however, and Palace were the beneficiaries, with that £18m fee now looking like a bargain as he continues to star in Patrick Vieira's side.

According to CIES Football Observatory, Guehi is now valued at €70m (£61m), which represents a 239% increase on the £18m the Eagles paid, and his value only looks set to increase if he can maintain his current level of performances.

His debut campaign with Palace saw him make 36 appearances in the top flight, contributing two goals and averaging a solid 6.77 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This was enough to earn the 22-year-old a call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad, and he made his international debut in a friendly against Switzerland earlier this year.

Vieira predicted Guehi's rapid rise to the top last season, saying:

“He really wants to fulfil his potential and his work ethic and concentration is really good. This is why I believe he has the attributes to one day be an international player.

“He’s really calm and composed and his competitiveness is unbelievable. It’s a pleasure for myself and my staff to work with him.”

Palace have had a tricky start to the new season, facing Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in their first six games, but Guehi and Joachim Andersen's partnership at the back is likely to be key in them picking up more wins as the season progresses.

The young Englishman, also lauded as an "absolute tank" by his former England youth teammate Josef Bursik, shows no signs of slowing down and still has plenty of time to reach his huge potential, so Steve Parish deserves a lot of credit for signing him for just £18m last summer.