According to the Athletic (subscription required), Chelsea are close to agreeing a deal with Leicester City for left-back Ben Chilwell.
The Athletic report that the England international is Frank Lampard’s prime choice to solve the left-back issues, with the Blues on the brink of agreeing a deal of between £45-50m for the 23-year-old.
It’s added that Leicester’s struggles in the second-half of the season paved the way for Chilwell to leave, with the pandemic also lowering the full-back’s price-tag, as much higher fees were previously touted.
The Athletic report that Chelsea have been kept up to date with medical checks that Chilwell has undergone recently, the ace missed Leicester’s run-in with a heel injury.
It’s suggested that the Three Lions’ No.1 in his position is expected to return in three weeks.
Left-back has been a serious problem area since Lampard’s appointment last summer, Marcos Alonso is still unreliable defensively whilst Emerson Palmieri has completely fallen out of favour.
Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta was even called into deputise in this area, but the Spaniard’s performances also left a lot to be desired.
Chilwell has the perfect combination of top-flight experience and youth that makes the ace an ideal target for the Blues, the full-back has made 99 appearances in the Premier League to date.
The ace has started to look more potent going forward this season as well, with three goals and three assists in 27 top-flight outings appearances this term.
A maximum of £50m for Chilwell would certainly be a relative bargain of sorts considering the high price-tag he’s previously carried, his status in the England side and the factors mentioned above.