Chelsea have already completed the signing of some of Europe’s most exciting talents this window, including winger Hakim Ziyech, who created 16 goals last season, and striker Timo Werner, who scored 35 of his own in all competitions. Yet it was the announcement that the Blues had captured the signature of Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell that should excite Chelsea fans the most.
The man from Milton Keynes is one of the most promising young defenders in the league. He already looks a more polished, confident and dependable full-back than any of his competitors at the club.
£50 million may be a hefty price tag, but it could prove a bargain if Chilwell lives up to his potential.
Chelsea Sign Ben Chilwell
The Blues’ Defensive Struggles
Chelsea’s defensive struggles are well-documented. They conceded over 50 league goals last season, crumbling to substantial defeats against Manchester United, Sheffield United and Liverpool.
More worryingly, the club has struggled to adequately replace fan favourite Ashley Cole, with various managers cycling through the likes of Filipe Luis, Marcos Alonso and Emerson, without any making the left-back spot their own.
The Alonso Problem
Alonso was Frank Lampard’s preferred choice last season, but the Spaniard struggled with the defensive elements of his full-back role, looking a shadow of himself when his manager opted for four, rather than five, at the back.
Last season, Alonso completed only 57% of his attempted tackles, winning around the same percentage of his headed duels. The Spaniard was a weak spot in the Chelsea defence, with several sides taking advantage of his defensive problems.
This was most evident in Chelsea’s defeat to West Ham United in July. Using the pace of players such as Michail Antonio and Andriy Yarmolenko, the Hammers overloaded the Blues’ left-hand side, managing to get in behind the full-back and create space for quick, incisive counter-attacking goals.
The Importance of Chilwell
In Ben Chilwell, though, Chelsea appear to have brought in someone who is capable of plugging the gaps defensively, while offering the same attacking threat that has won Alonso admirers during his time in West London.
Last season, Chilwell averaged two clearances per game to Alonso’s 1.4, and made twice as many defensive blocks, too.
His performances led to praise from Ashley Cole himself, who said: “He’s shown quality not just on the ball, but one-on-one he can defend and he likes to defend. For sure he’s good enough.”
With nearly 100 Premier League games and 11 England caps under his belt, Chilwell brings an experienced head on his young shoulders. He looks like the man to help shore up Chelsea’s leaky backline.
For the likes of Ziyech and Werner to properly influence games, they need a strong foundation behind them – and Chilwell will make sure it’s there.
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