According to a recent report by Goal.com Chelsea correspondent Nizaar Kinsella, Frank Lampard’s high-flying Blues will have to pay an exorbitant amount of money to secure the services of English full-back Ben Chilwell this summer. The report claims that Leicester City won’t be willing to sell their man without receiving somewhere close to the £80m that Manchester United paid to acquire Harry Maguire. The full-back is said to be aware of the transfer interest from the Chelsea camp as well.
Although this is the case, the report suggests that the Blues are growing increasingly confident about their chances of signing the youngster in the upcoming transfer window. The London club have been on the lookout for full-back options right from the winter, where they were unfortunately only able to fire blanks. They have also been linked with moves for Porto’s Brazilian international speedster Alex Telles, and even young Barcelona starlet Marc Cucurella.
Why Are Chelsea On The Lookout For A Better Left-Back?
Frank Lampard started the season with two proper left-back choices, but throughout the campaign, it’s safe to say that both of them got tactically found out. Marcos Alonso is one of the manager’s options, and the fact that he’s originally a wing-back has caused some problems of its own.
The Spaniard tends to be quite dangerous in the final third of the pitch, but this seems to hurt his defensive aspects of the game. Often seen bombarding forward on every opportunity, the former Fiorentina man’s lack of defensive work-rate has cost the Blues multiple goals this season alone.
The gaffer’s second option comes in the form of Italian international Emerson Palmieri, who was recently urged by Roberto Mancini to find a move back to Italy to get regular playing time. Lampard dropped the full-back at the turn of the year. The former AS Roma man offers a much more balanced skill-set than Alonso but just doesn’t seem to have the required quality on either end of the pitch to excel in the Premier League.
Why Ben Chilwell Would Be A Blockbuster Signing By Chelsea?
The youngster has been one of the Foxes’ standout performers this season without question. Brendan Rodgers has been rather quick to identify the sheer quality that Chilwell possesses, and this quality is precisely what was on display during Leicester’s dominant thrashing of Southampton earlier in the year. Moreover, the speedster offers an excellent balance between defending and attacking, thereby making him the ideal target for Chelsea.
Despite only registering underwhelming numbers in the league this season, the influence he’s had in the final third of the pitch heavily out-weighs the need for the youngster to get goals and assists himself. An adept crosser of the ball, there’s no denying that Chilwell would be a younger and more dynamic version of Marcos Alonso, with the added attribute that the Englishman also knows how to defend. The price being quoted could come as a roadblock, especially considering the summer that Chelsea have planned. But all things considered, signing Chilwell must be classed as a long-term investment, and it’s one that the Blues will have to make.
