Even though he is under contract with Leicester City until 2024, the 23-year-old left-back Ben Chilwell will allegedly tell the Foxes he wants to quit so he can secure a transfer to Chelsea, according to the Daily Mirror.

The young defender seems to be a very hot prospect on the market and if the same outlet is to be believed, the attacking full-back sees his long-term future at Stamford Bridge and under Frank Lampard’s tutelage. The Blues’ coach would, of course, make him his a starter in the team, which is certainly an appealing prospect for Chilwell himself.

But if Mirror’s story is true, this decision was not done on a whim and the 23-year-old’s desire to leave Leicester is not a reflection on them finishing behind Chelsea in the final Premier League standings, nor does it have anything to do with Champions League football not being secured by the Foxes. In fact, it’s a decision that simply aligns with the player’s long-term plans and development.

At Chelsea, he seems to believe, he can improve even more and this would ultimately help him nail down the England left-back spot for the upcoming Euros that were postponed after the recent outbreak.

However, the Foxes’ owners, Mirror state, are in no rush to sell him, although the squad is moving to a new £100m training ground this year and that could potentially play a part in any negotiations that are bound to take place.

Verdict

Needless to say, losing such a young and promising asset will come as a big blow to Brendan Rodgers and after they had lost Harry Maguire in a huge deal that saw the defender move to Manchester United, the same could very well happen to Chilwell as well. Only he would move to London instead.

But one thing is for sure, if Lampard wants to get his man, he will have to give his all. This, of course, means the fee that would be enough to take Chilwell away from the King Power Stadium and to Stamford Bridge is going to be anything but small.

As for the player himself, he missed the team’s last five games with a foot injury but was still a big part of their overall 2019/20 campaign.

Losing him would be a tough pill to swallow for Rodgers.