Pranav Nair
Manchester United to rival Chelsea for Ben Chilwell
According to The Mirror, Manchester United are ready to battle Chelsea for Ben Chilwell.
With Champions League football back on the table, United will need to add both quality and strength in depth heading into the 2020-21 campaign.
Having beaten Leicester City to a top-four spot, the Red Devils can now turn in the screw by stealing away one of their best talents.
Although Luke Shaw has impressed in recent months, United are still concerned about his dodgy injury record. This coupled with the fact that Brandon Williams still has much to learn, bringing in a new left-back is a necessity rather than a luxury.
One of the best left-backs in the league, Chilwell is an obvious choice given his dynamic ability. A threat at both ends of the pitch, the 23-year-old is an all-rounder who fits the role of a modern-day fullback.
A major concern, however, is Leicester’s valuation of the player. The Foxes consider Chilwell to be in the same bracket as former defender Harry Maguire.
Now United’s skipper, the Red Devils only acquired the defender after paying a mammoth £80m last summer. It is to this day the largest fee ever paid for a defender in world football.
The prospect of repeating that once again is asking for too much, especially in this financial climate.
United’s entry will come as a boon for Leicester. The prospect of us and Chelsea going up against each other presents the possibility of a bidding war for the English international.
Although Chelsea remain the favourites for his signature, they might now have to pay more than what they originally intended to spend. This can work in our favour given our mutual interest in Jan Oblak and Kai Havertz.
United could use a feint to draw Chelsea into overbidding for Chilwell while weakening their hand elsewhere. Whether the club attempts to do anything as such remains to be seen.
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Although Chilwell is a skilled player, it is debatable if he is worth the quoted price. With his contract running until 2024, Leicester hold all the aces when it comes to negotiations.
Bringing in a left-back is important but is not our priority. United are better off investing that money elsewhere.
