Chelsea interested in £25m move for rising 23-year-old star – The right choice to add strength?

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Why Chelsea should sign Ben Chilwell to improve their defensive options

According to Daily Mail, Chelsea are interested in a £25m move for Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell to boost their options in the backline.

Chilwell, 23, has established himself as one of the best left-backs in the Premier League since making it through the Foxes’ youth academy. He has been a regular member of the first-team since 2016 and has also emerged as England’s first-choice left-back.

Ben Chilwell scaled
Ben Chilwell of Leicester City celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Chelsea at The King Power Stadium. (Getty Images)

The youngster has been in fine form in the last two seasons and has attracted interested from several Premier League clubs including Manchester United and Manchester City, as per Daily Mail.

Meanwhile, Frank Lampard has done a decent job in his first season as Blues manager despite having to do with a lot of injuries to several key players. He has favoured the youngsters throughout the campaign and the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Calum Hudson-Odoi have all been brilliant so far.

Chelsea are currently 4th in the league standings as they hope to qualify for the Champions League next season. However, the manager should focus on strengthening the backline before the start of the new campaign.

In the heat of the defence, Antonio Rudiger is the only defender who has shown consistency since his return from injury. Fikayo Tomori, Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen have failed to claim the spot despite having enough opportunities.

Frank Lampard has done a stellar job with Chelsea this season (Getty Images)
Frank Lampard has done a stellar job with Chelsea this season (Getty Images)

At the same time, Lampard has faced a dilemma in the left-back position, with Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri failing to convince the manager. The Brazilian-born Italy international has fallen out of favour this term and could be on the move to Juventus at the end of the season, as per the report, leaving only Alonso available in that position.

Therefore, Lampard must bring in reinforcements to add strength to the squad and Leicester’s Ben Chilwell would be an ideal option for Chelsea.

Chilwell has been in scintillating form for the Foxes in the last two years. He has done well both in attacking and defensive situations. Last season, he contributed with 5 assists and has continued with the fine form this term with 2 goals and 4 assists so far.

ben Chilwell has established himself as England's first-choice left-back (Getty Images)
ben Chilwell has established himself as England’s first-choice left-back (Getty Images)

The English international has gone from strength to strength and could be a valuable addition to Chelsea’s squad if he is able to replicate the same form. He has the ability to develop into one of the best in his position and would certainly bring healthy competition to the Blues squad.

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Verdict

Given Chelsea’s lack of quality at left-back, signing Chilwell in the summer would be a wise decision if they are to challenge in various competitions next season. He can provide them with goals and assists from a deeper position and could also represent them in the long run as he is just 23.