‘Chelsea to terminate Ben Chilwell’s contract after latest transfer update’
Chelsea could part ways with Ben Chilwell sooner rather than later amid the club’s search for a replacement to the unwanted defender.
It’s been an extremely busy summer for the Blues with notable signings of Joao Pedro from Brighton and Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.
Their mammoth squad has also been balanced by the sales of Joao Felix to Al-Nassr and Noni Madueke to Arsenal.
Yet, one of the players they just can’t get rid of is left-back Chilwell.
Signed back in August 2020 for a reported £45million (BBC Sport), the Englishman has struggled during his five years at the club.
After an exciting debut season in London which saw him notch four goals and seven assists in all competitions, injuries hampered his game time.
Enzo Maresca’s arrival pushed the former Leicester full-back even further down the pecking order which led to a short-term loan to Crystal Palace in January 2025.
His loan spell was mediocre at best, appearing just 11 times under Oliver Glasner, as the Blues now try to offload the 28-year-old.
Nobody wants Chilwell
In a transfer report by The Athletic (29 July), it is understood that no club has approached Chelsea for the full-back as they are “struggling to offload” the England international.
This comes after Jorrel Hato has “become the main focus” for the Blues alongside Xavi Simons.
The Athletic (28 July) revealed that the Blues are “on the verge” of finalising a deal for the Dutch left-back that will cost in excess of €40m (£34.6m).
Compromise between Chelsea and Chilwell the best solution
The Blues have made it very clear that the Englishman has no future at Stamford Bridge, despite having two more years on his contract.
Both parties would have been hoping the 28-year-old made a bold impact at Palace, but the ex-Huddersfield man did little to joust Tyrick Mitchell from his starting berth.
The Eagles’ reluctance to turn Chilwell into a permanent signing reflects his undesirability to many sides in the transfer market.
Maresca’s team shouldn’t hold out for a big money offer should a team come in for him as any fee would be better than nothing right now.
Indeed, clubs may get more desperate for a left-back replacement the longer the window goes on, but Chilwell and Chelsea mustn’t hold their breath.
Certainly, another loan move could be worth a shot, following the similar strategy as with outcast Raheem Sterling who is linked with Fulham.
However, a quicker way to resolve the current situation is simply for both parties to negotiate a pay-off compromise for the remainder of the contract.
Cutting the contract short and releasing the full-back would be sensible for both sides and would allow the number 25 to explore the free agent market similar to Newcastle’s Callum Wilson.