Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has reportedly been shortlisted by two Premier League clubs for a possible January transfer.
The left-back has not been named in any of Chelsea's Premier League matchday squads under Enzo Maresca so far this season, with the player unlikely to have any future at the club.
Marc Cucurella is the undisputed number one choice, with Levi Colwill often moved across from the centre should the Spaniard drop out.
That leaves no room for Chilwell in the plans of the Italian manager, but no transfer materialised over the summer, so the 27-year-old was eventually named in their Premier League squad after initially being told to train away from the first team.
Despite that, there was still no place on the bench for Chilwell away to Bournemouth on Saturday, even though fellow full-backs Reece James and Malo Gusto were out injured.
Chelsea outcast Chilwell on the radar of two Premier League clubs
Maresca's persistent snubbing of Chilwell has seemingly alerted more clubs to seek a move for the defender when the transfer window re-opens in January.
© Imago
The Sun claim that Crystal Palace and newly-promoted Ipswich Town are both in the running to sign Chilwell during the winter window.
It would be quite a coup for either club, considering Chilwell joined the Blues for a fee of £50m from Leicester City just four years ago.
One stumbling block may be the massive wages Chilwell is on at Stamford Bridge though, as his £200,000-per-week payslip dwarfs anything that the players of Palace and Ipswich are on, so it is likely Chelsea would need to subsidise that if he is to leave on loan.
Could a drop down give Chilwell a new lease of life?
While a rumoured move to Manchester United never came to fruition during the summer, moving to a so-called 'smaller side' could be what Chilwell needs to get his career back on track.
Injuries have halted his progress in West London on numerous occasions, playing just 13 times last season, and on only seven occasions in the 2021-22 campaign.
Chilwell played his best stuff at Leicester, where he came through the ranks and eventually earned himself a £50m move away.
With a dearth of left-back options available to England manager Lee Carsley, moving away, regaining fitness, and getting game time could see the 21-cap defender return to the fold, if he can rediscover that Foxes form from the late 2010s.
Both Ipswich and Palace have strong homegrown options at left-back, though, with Leif Davis and Tyrick Mitchell both among the most-highly rated English players in that position at present.
Andrew Delaney
