Why Ben Chilwell to Manchester City would make no sense

According to Daily Mail, Manchester City are braced to battle Chelsea for the signing of Leicester’s £60m-rated Ben Chilwell.

Chilwell, 23, has been in exceptional form this season for the high-flying Foxes and has become an integral member under Brendan Rodgers. Coming through the ranks at King Power Stadium, the youngster has made 108 appearances for Leicester since his debut in 2016.

The English defender has been linked with the Premier League champions for quite a long time, despite the East Midland club having no intention of selling their academy talent in January, according to the report.

The 23-year-old just signed a long-term deal at Leicester back in October that would keep him at the club until the summer of 2024.

Meanwhile, Manchester City have almost lost the race to retain the title as they are 14 points adrift of runaway league leaders Liverpool. They find themselves in the 3^rd position behind Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Pep Guardiola has faced limitations in the heart of the defence after the departure of Vincent Kompany. Aymeric Laporte’s injury has made it worse for the Cityzens and the manager, who has found it difficult to find a suitable replacement within the team.

Fernandinho has been partnering John Stones in the centre and the Brazilian has done quite well, whereas Nicolas Mendi is yet to find his best form. City must make sure they bring in enough reinforcements to make their backline steady.

As far as Ben Chilwell is concerned, City already have three left-backs in their ranks in Oleksandr Zinchenko, Benjamin Mendy and Angelino. Although they have not been up to the mark, they are capable of doing the job.

Zinchenko recently returned to the squad against Arsenal after undergoing knee surgery and he must aim to pick up from where he left off. He was instrumental in his national side’s Euro qualifying games.

If the Etihad outfit make a move for Chilwell, he would become a surplus for the team and City would be wasting their resources if the Englishman is made to sit on the bench.

Guardiola has to get the best out of the options available at his disposal and this could help the club in saving resources.

The Milton Keynes-born left-back is currently in the form of his life and if he opts to switch alliance with Guardiola’s side, it could be a hindrance to his progress. He may have to compete for a place in the starting line-up and, in the process, he might not get enough opportunities.

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Verdict

Therefore, City keeping their eyes away from Chilwell would do a world of good for both them and the player.

Guardiola must go into the market to reinforce positions that really need an upgrade. And the Leicester star can continue to perform regularly at his club at the highest level, without any distractions.