English left back Ben Chilwell remains as a surplus player at Chelsea and has been attracting interest from Premier League and abroad.
Chilwell joined Chelsea in the summer of 2020 from Leicester City. He was an integral part of the Chelsea team that won the 2021 UEFA Champions League. After an impressive first season, injuries started hampering his progress with the team. Multiple injuries during the next years and back-to-back managerial changes have limited his game time over the years. Marc Cucurella came in later and made the left back position his own. After his four years stay at Chelsea, Ben Chilwell is now unwanted by new manager Enzo Maresca. As per the recent reports it is said that multiple clubs from Premier League and abroad are interested in signing the 27-year-old left back. Let’s have a detailed look into the story.
BEN CHILWELL AT CHELSEA
Ben Chilwell had the best start to his life at Chelsea under Frank Lampard. Even though the team wasn’t performing well enough, the Englishman was consistently producing in attack and defense. In the second half of the season Thomas Tuchel came in to replace Lampard. That’s when Chilwell grew into his potential. He was an important part of the team that won the Champions League title. He had hoped Tuchel would stay at Chelsea for longer but that wasn’t the case. New owners came in and the German coach was gone.
Later, Chilwell’s career in west london was marred by injury struggles. Notably the ACL injury he suffered during the 2021/22 season, which ruled him out for the majority part of the season. He had been consistently making the England national team then. Even though he made a recovery in 2022, recurring injuries have disrupted his rhythm and form from then. Chilwell began well in the 2023/24 season under Mauricio Pochettino but again suffered injuries. Then time went past the season was over Pochettino was gone, Enzo Maresca came in. The Italian swiftly named some of them unwanted, unfortunately Chilwell was one of them. Maresca was clear about his decision and told him to find a new club.
He was ready to leave but a move didn’t materialize this summer. And as of now Chilwell has only played 45 minutes of football this season, that too against AFC Barrow in the Carabao Cup. It seems like Chilwell’s time at Chelsea is going to end as soon as in the January transfer window.
INTERESTS FROM PL AND ABROAD
Enzo Maresca now sees Chilwell as the third choice left back behind Cucurella and Renato Veiga. Marc Cucurella has been doing well under Maresca’s system as well as Renato Veiga. The young Portuguese might also overtake Cucurella for that left back spot. Amidst all these we don’t think that Chilwell will be able to find a place in the team. He has also accepted that fact and will try to find a new home in the upcoming January transfer window. A summer move to Man Utd was also on the cards but nothing materialized in the end. A few Turkish clubs also came into contention towards the end.
Now the 27-year-old left back is attracting interest from multiple clubs in the Premier League and abroad. According to the Sun, Chilwell has been attracting interest from three Premier League clubs. They are Fulham, Crystal Palace and newly promoted Ipswich Town. Fellow London rivals Fulham have been doing well since the start of this season and sit 8th in the Premier League table. While Crystal Palace is 18th after a bad start to the season and Ipswich are 17th. A move to Fulham would be a good idea if he prefers to stay in England.
He also has some options from abroad. As per the reports Antonio Conte is a huge admirer of the 27-year-old and wants him at Napoli as soon as in January. The Azzuris currently sit on top of the Italian topflight and doing considerably well. Chilwell would be a huge boost to the defensive options, and he can also adapt well into Conte’s game plan.
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