Manchester United have reportedly swooped ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea in the race to sign Ben Chilwell, who is priced at £60 million by Leicester City.
If an exclusive report by The Sun is to be believed, Manchester United have joined the race to sign Ben Chilwell in the summer transfer window. The English full-back, who is valued at £60 million by Leicester City, is also the subject of interest from Chelsea and Manchester City.
Chilwell has enjoyed a stunning rise in stature over the last couple of seasons, wherein he has been one of the best full-backs in the Premier League. Now a mainstay for both club and country, the 23-year-old has racked up 123 appearances for Leicester City while also turning out 11 times for the English national side.
His progress, though, has also caught the eye of some of the biggest clubs in England. Chelsea were the first club to show an interest in Chilwell and stepped up their pursuit of him recently. The Blues were then joined by Manchester City in the queue for the English international. Now, Manchester United are keen on securing his services.
Currently, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has two left-backs at his disposal in Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams. Williams, though, is still at the nascent stage of his career, while Shaw has proven to be quite inconsistent over the course of his Manchester United career. Having said that, the former Southampton defender has been improving since the turn of the year.
Nevertheless, if Chilwell is signed, he would surely be an upgrade over both the left-side full-backs that Manchester United have in their squad. As for Chelsea, the need to sign a left-back is more urgent and for good reason.
Frank Lampard’s current natural options for the position are Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri both of whom have been frustrating this term. In fact, Emerson is expected to leave Chelsea this summer, while Alonso is presently behind Cesar Azpilicueta in the pecking order. Azpilicueta, though, is also an option for the right-back slot.
As a result, Chelsea need to sign a top class left-back this summer, making Chilwell a viable target. However, the Blues and Manchester United face stiff competition from Manchester City in the race to sign the Leicester superstar.
Like Chelsea, Manchester City’s current left-backs hardly inspire any confidence. Benjamin Mendy is unreliable while Oleksandr Zinchenko is not a natural left-back. Chilwell is, therefore, someone whose addition will go a long way in restoring City’s status as the top dog in the Premier League.
There have been suggestions that Chilwell favours a move to Chelsea. However, if The Sun are to be believed, Manchester United are now ahead of the west Londoners and neighbours Manchester City in the race to sign the 23-year-old. The player will not come cheap, though, with Leicester slapping a £60 million price tag on him.
What now remains to be seen is if Manchester United are indeed in pole position to sign Chilwell in the summer transfer window, ahead of Chelsea and Manchester City. If so, the Englishman could become the second Leicester defender in a year to make his way to Old Trafford after Harry Maguire’s switch to Old Trafford last summer.
