Ben Chilwell has been told by Enzo Maresca that he can leave Chelsea, but he might have an unlikely suitor. The 27-year-old fell down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge but finds himself linked with Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola doesn’t have a natural left-back after selling Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal and Joao Cancelo to Al-Hilal. The City manager has used Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol in a makeshift role but might want a natural option.
What does the report say?
Fraser Gillan of TEAMtalk says Guardiola has been a long-term admirer of Chilwell. The City manager is believed to like Chilwell’s distribution from deep, and he’s not afraid to sign an out-of-favour player.
Chelsea are requesting £40m for Chilwell, having paid £50m to sign him from Leicester City in 2020. Per Capology, the England international takes home £200k-per-week, so he’s eating up £10m a year in wages.
City could benefit from bringing in more homegrown talent while plugging the defence, so Chilwell would tick two boxes. The 27-year-old has struggled with injuries and consistency, however, so it’s hard to see City signing him.
Chelsea would jump at the chance of a sale, so they’re very keen on negotiating.
Is there any chance of Chilwell joining City?
Despite the report, it’s highly unlikely that City will lodge a bid for Chilwell. The 27-year-old has made 106 appearances for Chelsea, but he’s not been a Premier League regular since 2021. Chilwell hasn’t started more than 15 league games since joining from Leicester, so he’s not lived up to his potential.
Mauricio Pochettino preferred Marc Cucurella at left-back and Maresca appears to like the Spaniard more too. If Chilwell can’t feature for Chelsea, what hope does he have turning out for City. Why would Guardiola pay £40m for a backup left-back that isn’t an upgrade on his current options. It would b a major shock if this report turned out to be true.
