Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell has emerged as a summer transfer target for Manchester City, as Pep Guardiola looks to replace Joao Cancelo.
The Sky Blues allowed Joao Cancelo to leave on loan for Bayern Munich in the January transfer window after he fell out with Pep Guardiola over lack of game time after the World Cup. A clash between player and manager means Cancelo’s surprise loan exit last month could see Manchester City likely move the Portuguese full-back on permanently in the summer.
As a potential replacement for Cancelo, Man City are reportedly keeping tabs on Ben Chilwell with Guardiola being a long-time admirer of the Chelsea star. City were interested in signing Chilwell from Leicester City back in 2020 but opted against paying his £42m clause. He then moved to Chelsea in the summer of 2020 and has gone onto make 45 Premier League appearances so far, scoring seven goals.
Chilwell, 26, has had numerous injury problems which has chiefly disrupted his progress at Stamford Bridge. The England international has endured another injury-hit campaign at Chelsea, limiting him to just 10 Premier League appearances to date. He has only recently recovered from a hamstring problem but his future at Chelsea is uncertain, with big-money arrivals at west London arriving meaning the club could be forced to sell some of their assets in a bid to comply with the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
Man City keeping tabs on Ben Chilwell
Man City are very likely to enter the transfer market for a new left-back with Joao Cancelo expected to leave the club at the end of the season. City have a long-standing interest in Ben Chilwell, but he is just one of several names being considered by the reigning Premier League champions ahead of the summer transfer window.
Chilwell could be a solid potential replacement for Cancelo, who will want to impress on his loan spell with Bayern and make the move permanent from City. The Englishman has had rotten luck with injuries since arriving at Chelsea three years ago, but when fit, he has proven to be a top left-back with good passing range, defensive awareness and speed.
Considering his recent injury record, though, it remains to be seen if City will take a gamble on the 26-year-old, or instead look into signing someone younger and with a better fitness record. Nonetheless, if Chilwell could stay injury-free and get back to the levels of his first season with Chelsea, there is no doubt that he would be a top addition to Guardiola’s side.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
