Leicester City’s management have reportedly asked their scouting network to find an able replacement for 22-year-old left-back Ben Chilwell, who has been tracked by Chelsea.
The England international has grown by leaps and bounds as a player, and is quickly becoming a key player for the national side.
According to The Sun, Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers wants to keep the young left-back till the end of the season, before letting him leave, in a deal which could be around the £50 million mark.
The report further states that Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is a big fan of Chilwell, and could become the club’s first-choice left-back in the future.
Manchester City were also reportedly interested in the full-back, but may no longer be interested in signing him as Oleksandr Zinchenko has put in good performances, while the reigning Premier League champions also have Bernard Mendy in their ranks.
Having come through the ranks at Leicester City, Chilwell made his first-team debut in 2015 before becoming a first-choice player in the 2017-18 season. The Englishman has made almost 100 appearances in all competitions for Leicester. He has five years remaining on his current deal, having signed a new contract last year.
Is Chilwell a better option than what they currently have?
Frank Lampard’s current first-choice left-back is Italian Emerson Palmieri, who had a good start to the season, and skipped ahead of Marcos Alonso in the pecking order. But injury has meant that Alonso has returned to the starting lineup.
The Spanish full-back is good going forward, but the defensive aspect of his game is still suspect. Alonso works well in a wing-back role rather than a full-back role, while Emerson is a good defender as well as contributes in attack.
But, the signing of Chilwell would be a big upgrade on Chelsea’s current options. The 22-year-old can motor forward and is a strong dribbler, and has the ability to put in teasing crosses into the box. He is also good defensively, averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.8 clearances per game this season.
Chilwell’s passing from the back is good and has averaged 73.8 passes per game this season, which is a good number for a full-back.
At 22 years of age, Chilwell could be Chelsea’s first-choice left-back for the next decade, and would fit in perfectly in the young, exciting team that Lampard is building.
