Man City, Ben Chilwell. Pep Guardiola. Etihad Stadium, Chelsea, Premier League
Manchester City want Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell as the Premier League champions seek to fix a ‘problem position’ for Pep Guardiola.
The Lowdown: City left-back woes…
The Blues’ left-back area has indeed been an issue under Guardiola with the Spaniard turning to former makeshift options like Oleksandr Zinchenko and Fabian Delph in past seasons.
At the time, Benjamin Mendy would often be sidelined through injury, forcing Guardiola to get creative.
More recently, the now-departed Joao Cancelo flourished in that role as a creative left-back, but was forced to operate on his weaker side being a traditional right-footer.
Fast forward to now, the likes of Nathan Ake, Sergio Gomez and Aymeric Laporte are options for Guardiola in that area, but they remain without a natural, out-and-out left-back.
The Latest: City target Chilwell…
According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O’Rourke, City are keen on signing Chelsea defender Chilwell as they prioritise a ‘problem position’.
The 26-year-old could be a target as reinforcing City’s left-back area is set to be a transfer ‘priority’ for them this summer.
The Verdict: Right man?
Homegrown and arguably proven in the English top flight, Chilwell stands out as a viable candidate to seriously strengthen their ranks.
After his return from a hamstring injury, Chelsea boss Graham Potter has heavily favoured the Englishman with Chilwell featuring in every game since recovering.
The former Leicester City star has also been praised by sections of the Stamford Bridge media with Chelsea correspondent Nizaar Kinsella calling him ‘class’ recently.
On a reported £190,000-per-week, Chilwell’s signing could require significant investment in terms of wages and transfer fee, but he could represent a solid option.
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