Why Chelsea should go all out for Leicester star Ben Chilwell

According to English outlet I news (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea are keen on signing Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell. However, Lampard’s Blues will face stiff competition from Pep Guardiola’s Man City, who have been linked with the 23-year old as well.

Chilwell has been impressive this season for the high-flying Foxes under Brendan Rodgers, with the side currently sitting safely at second place in the league table.

Apart from the few matches early in the season which he missed due to hip injury, Chilwell has been an integral player in this Leicester squad under Rodgers, appearing in 17 of their 21 league games.

His all-round abilities as a quality full-back have also been on display this year, with the Englishman contributing to the side with 1 goal and 3 assists so far in the Premier League.

Chilwell has also been a part of a formidable defence which conceded the least number of goals early in the season until recently, Liverpool bettered the tally.

Having conceded a mere 19 goals, they are one of the best defensive units in the league at the moment and it’s no wonder Chelsea are interested in Chilwell, who has been a regular starter in that backline.

Meanwhile, Lampard’s Blues have had issues in left-back this season, with both Emerson and Marcos Alonso failing to impress so far. This has led to Lampard having to rely upon his skipper, the experienced Cesar Azpilicueta to carry out the left-back duties from time to time.

Though Azpilicueta has been reliable as ever, it is not his favoured position and Chelsea clearly need a proper left-back if they intend to stay in the top-four, especially with United following them closely in fifth place.

Emerson and Alonso have been faring below expectations and they have played only 20 league matches combined so far. Also, Emerson is yet to open his account, having not made a single assist or goal.

Alonso, meanwhile, has been a little better, finding the target once and assisting thrice until now. Moreover, Alonso is 29 now and won’t get younger.

Chelsea really need a new face, someone young, if they wish to stay on top for a longer duration. Emerson, 25, has found it extremely difficult to nail down a starting place after suffering a hamstring injury midway through the season.

Read more:

• Why Everton right-back Kenny would be a good addition to Chelsea
• Why signing Gueye would be surplus to Chelsea’s requirements
• Why Chelsea should reignite their interests in Philippe Coutinho

Verdict

With the side clearly short of options in the left-back role, Chelsea are in dire need of a new young face and who better than Chilwell, who is an already proven performer.

Also, his arrival would ease the pressure on Azpilicueta, who has been jumping from the right flank to left according to the requirements of the team. Hence, Chelsea should go all out for the English full-back, who will cost them £60million.