Chelsea have long been linked to England and Leicester City left back Ben Chilwell, and now it appears they are finally close to signing him. The 23-year-old is one of the top players at his position in the Premier League, and his move could be confirmed and announced as early as next wekk.
That’s according to transfer market guru David Ornstein, who says the deal is understood to be worth about £45-50 million.
Blues boss Frank Lampard has badly been in need of a solid, reliable defender at the left flank of the back line, as he looks to put his stamp on the roster. Chilwell looks set to become the third new player to join Chelsea this summer after Hakim Ziyech (who signed in the winter) and Timo Werner.
For Leicester, this would mark the second straight summer in which they sold off one of their stellar defenders for a huge amount of money to a big six club. Centre back Harry Maguire went to Manchester United last summer for £80 million.
Chilwell (who has also been linked to United this silly season), who also provides quality going forward, was originally valued much higher by Leicester, in the same neighborhood as the Maguire price tag.
However, as Leicester missed out on UEFA Champions League for next season, and all the added revenue that would have brought, the Midlands club saw a golden opportunity for a big cash infusion with the sale of Chilwell.
So this looks like a deal that should work out really well for both parties involved.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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