Leicester City are confident they will keep hold of England left-back Ben Chilwell this summer, despite interest from both Manchester City and Chelsea.
Having emerged from the Foxes’ academy, Chilwell made his senior debut during the legendary 2015/16 season and has been a key part of the first-team since 2017. He has gone from strength to strength under Brendan Rodgers and has become an England starter as well.
90min first revealed Manchester City’s interest last November owing to concerns over Benjamin Mendy and his active personal life. Chelsea had already begun looking for left-backs after remaining unconvinced by Marcos Alonso or Emerson Palmieri and Chilwell became a clear option.
More recently there has been a growing media expectation that Chelsea are likely to land Chilwell, although 90min explained earlier this month that Manchester City have not dropped out.
But to add a significant problem for both suitors, Sky Sports now report that Leicester do not want to sell Chilwell this summer and are confident that he is happy to stay put, especially if Champions League football is also on offer at the King Power Stadium.
It is said that Leicester will not consider offers of £50m, a figure that would out Chilwell among the most expensive full-backs of all time, while 90min understands that his club value him much higher in the region of £75m.
With four years left on his contract there is no pressure to sell and Leicester proved last summer they will not be bullied by bigger clubs when Manchester United paid £80m for Harry Maguire.
90min was informed by a source in February that Everton’s Lucas Digne is an alternative option both Manchester City and Chelsea are considering. On top of that, Chelsea have also been weighing up Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa, who will be a free agent this summer.
Even if Leicester don’t sell Chilwell, 90min recently learned that they still have eyes for Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, who was previously thought of as a possible replacement. It is Leicester’s intention to make a move for Tierney regardless of what happens with Chilwell, believing they have a chance to strike a deal in the region of £18m, despite Arsenal paying £25m only 10 months ago.
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Source : 90min