Manchester United are plotting a shock swoop for Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell
According to a report from the Daily Mail, Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell has emerged as a shock target for Manchester United this summer.
The England international joined Chelsea from Leicester City in the summer of 2020, helping the West London club win the Champions League during his first campaign. The left-back has made 106 appearances for the Pensioners, and despite injury problems hampering his progress in the last two years, he is still rated as one of the best in his position in the Premier League.
The aforementioned report claims that Ben Chilwell is among the list of left-back targets that INEOS have drawn up at Old Trafford in an attempt to find competition for first-choice Luke Shaw after Tyrell Malacia was ruled out for the entire 2023/24 campaign with surgery after a knee injury sustained before the pre-season.
Chilwell has failed to live up to his potential at Chelsea in recent years thanks largely to his injury problems. After a successful debut season at Stamford Bridge, where he made 42 appearances across all competitions and lifted the Champions League, the Englishman suffered a cruciate ligament tear in November 2021 in a 1-1 draw with Man United and he hasn’t been the same since then.
The 27-year-old’s form has been affected massively in the process. Hamstring and knee problems limited him to only 21 games across all formats this past season, resulting in his snub from England manager Gareth Southgate for the 2024 European Championships despite the left-back featuring in the pre-tournament friendlies against Belgium and Brazil.
As per a separate report from The Telegraph, Chilwell’s future at Chelsea appears uncertain under new boss Enzo Maresca after a difficult 2023/24 campaign. Maresca prefers his full-backs to invert into midfield, and being a traditional left-back/left wing-back, Chilwell doesn’t do as well as teammate Marc Cucurella, who has been sensational at the ongoing Euro and played a pivotal role in Spain reaching the finals.
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Moreover, the Blues are closing in on FC Basel’s versatile defender Renato Veiga, who is set to sign a long-term contract after passing his medical. Veiga’s potential arrival should offset the recent departure of Ian Maatsen to Aston Villa, and with Cucurella being among the standout players at the Euro in Germany, Maresca should have enough options at left-back for the forthcoming Premier League season.
Keeping the aforementioned factors in mind, Chelsea must not hesitate to move on Chilwell from the books if Man United table a formal offer.
