Chelsea to target Leicester City star as Emerson replacement
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea will make a move for Leicester’s Ben Chilwell if they lose Emerson Palmieri this summer.
25-year-old Chelsea defender Emerson is likely to return to Italy next season, having fallen out of favour with Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge.
The Italy international joined Chelsea from Roma two years ago but has spent most of his time in the Premier League behind Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta in the pecking order at left-back.
Juventus and Napoli are the current favourites to sign him, and there is a good possibility that a £25 million move could reunite him with former Blues boss Maurizio Sarri.
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Should the move go through, Lampard and Chelsea are keen on signing Ben Chilwell from Leicester City as a replacement.
Chilwell, 23, has seen a meteoric rise in the last few years, having established himself as first-choice left-back for the Foxes as well as the England national team. He would have been one of the first names on Gareth Southgate‘s teamsheet for the 2020 Euros had the tournament not been postponed.
His performances have attracted the attention of several Premier League clubs, with Manchester City also likely to contest Chelsea to sign the youngster.
Chilwell is an integral part of Leicester’s squad, and it is highly unlikely that Brendan Rodgers will let him leave for anything less than £50 million. Full backs like Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo have been sold for similar fees recently, and Chilwell should be no exception.
The sales of Emerson could help fund the transfer for Chelsea, along with Marcos Alonso who could follow him out the door in a summer rebuild.
With Azpilicueta turning 31 in August, the investment would make sense for Chelsea, who are developing into an exciting squad with the right mix of youth and experience.
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