Defending Premier League champions Manchester City are reportedly set to compete with Chelsea for Leicester City ace Ben Chilwell.
Chilwell is currently an in-demand player owing to his consistent performances for Leicester City, under manager Brendan Rodgers.
Pep Guardiola is keen on bringing Chilwell to the Etihad despite having Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko as options for the left-back position.
The England international, a Leicester academy product, is rated very highly by the Foxes, who will not let go of him for anything cheap.
According to Daily Mail, Leicester City are demanding a whopping £85 million for Chilwell, which is higher than the £80 million the received for Harry Maguire last summer.
The report also makes clear that there has been no intent as of yet from Chilwell to part ways with the Foxes as they are well in contention for a Champions League spot.
Ben Chilwell – The player Manchester City need?
Manchester City have been at their very best in games where they have had their crucial first-team players available, especially the centre-backs.
Pep Guardiola’s side struggled in the absence of Aymeric Laporte as Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones could not live up to expectations.
Chilwell wouldn’t necessarily solve the major issues at the back, and his output in attack isn’t all that different from what Manchester City are currently getting out of Zinchenko and Mendy.
A strong and steady centre-back who would give the side the much-needed solidity they are lacking. But, Chilwell is certainly worth a look because Zinchenko is defensively shaky, while Mendy has sat out more games due to injuries than he has been on the pitch.
Chilwell would be a more steady option at the left-back City have not found a consistent starter in that position since after Mendy’s frequent injury woes. There has been way too much rotation there, and Guardiola is not wrong to look for a more stable option.
If a deal materialises, it would also see City upgrade as a defending outfit as Chilwell is better than both Mendy and Zinchenko based on current form. He can also chip in with crucial goals and assists as he has a brilliant left-foot.
His crossing into the box is strong, if not as good as Mendy’s. The only negative factor in the whole scenario is the huge asking price for the player, which City should rather spend on a world-class centre-back.
