According to a recent report by Sky Sports, Premier League giants Chelsea are said to be close to agreeing a deal with Leicester City over the services of their talented English left-back Ben Chilwell. The Foxes player was branded Lampard’s first-choice left-back option going into the transfer window, and although nothing is set in stone just yet, an announcement is reportedly expected to come within the next week. The speedster himself is said to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, with the opportunity to play in the Champions League regularly tipping the scales in the Blues’ favour.
Breaking down which Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell will replace is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s one that Lampard will be forced to make in the coming weeks. Leicester City’s big-money sale of Harry Maguire to Manchester United last season clarified the fact that they are only willing to sell for the right price. Although the defender is currently contracted to the Midlands club until the summer of 2024, it would not come as too much of a surprise to see him force a move from the King Power Stadium later this week.
What Makes Ben Chilwell An Attractive Option For Chelsea?
The Englishman first burst onto the Premier League scene as an academy graduate at Leicester City, and it’s safe to say that over the last couple of seasons, he has developed into one of the best left-backs in the entire division. The speedster made his top-flight debut back in 2016 but has gradually made the Leicester City left-back role his own over recent seasons. Having played in every single fixture in the 18/19 campaign, Chilwell’s development into a top-level player was complete prior to the start of last campaign. A willing runner with the ball at his feet, the 23-year-old offers excellent defensive positioning, while also being a deadly crosser of the ball in the attacking third.
Breaking Down Which Chelsea Left-Back Ben Chilwell Will Replace: Who Should Lampard Sell?
Marcos Alonso
Antonio Conte initially brought in the Spanish wing-back as the Italian looked to add some much-needed width to this Chelsea side. The tactician’s game-plan usually involves a couple of wing-backs supporting the central defenders, and Alonso was almost custom-built for the role. Not only did he excel at going forward, but his ability to read the play and position himself defensively was impressive too. When deployed in a back-four though, the Spaniard’s weaknesses began to come to the fore. Despite this, Alonso’s innumerable attacking contributions simply cannot be underplayed, and the fact that he is a fan-favourite at Stamford Bridge could play a part too.
Emerson
The Italian international was brought into the side as Chelsea looked to find an alternative left-back option for the more attack-minded Marcos Alonso. Despite some positive signs during his early days at Stamford Bridge, it’s safe to say that he was unable to really win over the hearts of the Chelsea faithful. Although Emerson is arguably a much better defender than Alonso, there have been situations where his lack of concentration have cost the Blues at the back. Moreover, the Italian offers an extremely toothless presence in attack, in that he is not the best crosser of the ball from wide either.
The Verdict
As poor as Marcos Alonso has been at times, it must be conceded that his attacking contributions cannot be discounted. The real issue for Lampard has been finding a left-back who can operate as part of a back-four, and that’s precisely what Chilwell is going to offer them next season. In case of an instance where the gaffer is forced to move into a back-three to tactically counter the opposition, Marcos Alonso’s talents could come in extremely handy as well.
Emerson, on the other hand, does not serve too much of a purpose at West London right now. As long as Chilwell is sure to arrive, it would be in the Blues’ best interest for the Leicester man to replace Emerson in Frank Lampard’s defensive roster.
