Leicester City have admitted they face an uphill battle to keep hold of left-back Ben Chelwell, who is wanted by both Chelsea and Manchester City.
By the 90th minute it was confirmed that the two suitors saw Chilwell as the best solution to their struggles down the left. Chelsea want to replace both Marcos Alonso and Emerson, while City are ready to cut ties with Benjamin Mendy.
Leicester wants £75m to part ways with Chilwell/Michael Regan/Getty Images
Leicester have insisted they will not be forced to part with Chilwell, who still has four years left on his current contract, but The Times say the Foxes have already started preparing for his exit.
The report suggests that Chelsea are ‘closing in’ on Chilwell, despite the fact that the financial side of the deal appears to be a major stumbling block.
Leicester are ready to stand firm on their £75m asking price and have targeted the acquisitions of both Chelsea’s Hakim Zech and Timo Werner to boost the Blues’ spending power if they want to this summer. As evidence.
Chelsea have committed to spending around £80m this summer / James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images
To finance the deal, Chelsea could sell both Marcos Alonso and Emerson, while it has also been suggested that the Blues are willing to listen to offers for both Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen, although the centre-backs Selling either would just create another transition problem. Chelsea
While such a deal seems unlikely, Leicester have already started identifying alternatives. Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand has been highlighted by Brendan Rodgers, while the Daily Mail add that Waitsey’s Max Clarke is also under consideration.
Ryan Bertrand can replace Chilwell/Robin Jones/Getty Images.
Chelsea are already pushing for a £75million deal for Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz, to see if they spend the same amount on Chilwell.
The Blues have prepared for this eventuality and are looking for cheaper alternatives if a move for Chilwell proves impossible. Ajax’s Nicolás Tagliafico is available for £22.4m, while Porto’s Alex Telles has a release clause of around £35m and could be available on the cheap as a result of his expiring contract.
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