Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has been linked with a move away from the West London club throughout this summer.
As quoted by the Daily Telegraph, Ben Chilwell is free to leave Chelsea in the summer transfer window. Manager Enzo Maresca has now delivered a brutal update on the future of the 27-year-old defender, and he has confirmed that the England international is free to move on.
“Chilly [Chilwell] is with us but he has not been training for the last few days because he has been ill,” the Italian said. “The reason he did not play versus Inter was because, with Chilly it is quite clear, even though I love the way he is, the problem is, he is struggling a bit to find the right position.
“This morning we had 22 players training and if you ask all of them they will say they want to play against City on Sunday. But that is impossible. When you train every day and do not get any minutes it is not good for them or for me. I need to make a decision and probably it is better to leave and go and get minutes. The transfer window is open so we’ll see what happens.”
Chilwell has not been able to showcase his true ability at Chelsea since joining them from Leicester City. His career at Stamford Bridge has been plagued with injuries, and it will be interesting to see if Chelsea decide to sell him this summer.
Chilwell remains a quality player when he is fit, and the Blues should look to keep the faith with him. The 27-year-old could be an important player for the Blues if he can regain his fitness and confidence. He has been linked with Manchester City in recent weeks.
Can Chelsea afford to sell Ben Chilwell?
The comments from Chelsea manager Enzo Maresa is unlikely to go down well with the player. It will be interesting to see if he decides to push for an exit this summer. Chelsea are already lacking in depth and quality in the left-back department, and the departure of Chilwell will weaken them further.
Marc Cucurella was quite underwhelming last season, and the Blues cannot rely on him to start every game in the Premier League. It will be interesting to see if Chelsea decide to sell Chilwell and bring in an upgrade in the coming weeks.
The 27-year-old England international could prove to be a quality acquisition for most clubs in the division despite his injury problems, and he is unlikely to have any shortage of suitors this summer.