Transfer Centre

Chelsea 'must pay more than £80m for Ben Chilwell'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 03 August 2020

Leicester City will not allow Ben Chilwell to leave for Chelsea unless they receive a transfer fee in excess of £80m, according to a report.

Chelsea will reportedly have to fork out more than £80m to secure the signature of Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell.

With neither Marcos Alonso or Emerson Palmieri covering themselves in glory during the 2019-20 campaign, Frank Lampard is supposedly keen to freshen up his options on the left-hand side of defence prior to next season.

The Blues have been heavily linked with a swoop for Chilwell in recent weeks, although the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic could hinder Chelsea's attempts to sign the England international this summer.

According to The Mirror, Leicester will drive a hard bargain for Chilwell and are not prepared to accept anything less than the £80m they received when they sold fellow English defender Harry Maguire to Manchester United last summer.

The report claims that Chilwell is keen to move to Chelsea as he looks to become Gareth Southgate's first-choice left-back heading into next year's European Championships.

The 23-year-old is under contract at the King Power Stadium until 2024, although Chelsea have allegedly set their sights on Real Madrid's Sergio Reguilon as a potential cut-price alternative to Chilwell.