Manchester United and Chelsea could be boosted because of Leicester City’s failure to earn UEFA Champions League football next season with left-back Ben Chilwell reported wanted by both clubs. A report by The Sun has stated that the Foxes were set to try and secure the player with a new contract this summer and they had hoped to be able to use the lure of elite European football to get that deal done. However, the club will compete in the UEFA Europa League instead.
Leicester were at one stage of the season 14 points ahead of United and their collapse, added to United’s great form since the restart resulted in the Old Trafford club breaking down their lead and finishing four points ahead of them, an 18-point surge to qualify for the Champions League next season. The 23-year-old is contracted until the summer of 2024 so there is no rush to secure him on more lucrative terms with with two suitors both offering Champions League football, it could be tough for Leicester.
If the left-back was to much for a move this summer, he would no doubt earn more money at both Chelsea and United, also playing the best teams in Europe in the Champions League, which might benefit him internationally for England, especially with the UEFA European Championships coming up next summer, after they were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic with the competition originally supposed to have happened this summer.
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers has suggested that the player is not for sale this summer, but aside of saying that, he does not know what the player wants. He might decide to stay at the club and sign a new contract but with bigger clubs that could offer him trophies interested in him, you never know what could happen. Leicester supporters will be confident that he could decide to remain at the club though, which would be a blow for both Chelsea and United, if both clubs are seriously interested in the player. Rodgers was reported by The Sun as saying:
“He’s not a player we want to lose. I’m quite relaxed on it. I’m not worried at all.
“We’ve got a fantastic squad that we want to keep together so I don’t worry.
“You can spin it whichever way you want. There is no intention to sell Ben Chilwell and there is absolutely no need for us to sell Ben Chilwell.
“If you want a message, the message is he’s not for sale.”
This season, the 23-year-old made a total of 33 appearances for Leicester, playing in the Premier League, the Carabao Cup and the Emirates FA Cup. He scored three goals and assisted a further four. The player has suffered three major injuries at Leicester in his time as a first team player, which puts him ahead of Luke Shaw, whose season seems to be over after suffering an ankle injury against his former club. If Leicester are blown away by an offer for Chilwell, they may decide to see, no matter the reluctance of Rodgers. It would seem doubtful though, in my opinion as Leicester would demand a massive fee for the player with United likely to spend big in another area of the squad instead.
Written by John Walker
