Chelsea's stance on selling Ben Chilwell to Man Utd as Maresca makes feelings clear

Chelsea are reportedly prepared to consider offers for defender Ben Chilwell as Enzo Maresca continues to reshape his squad this summer.

The wing-back has made 106 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, scoring nine goals, and played a key role in their Champions League triumph in 2020-21.

But Chilwell has been plagued by injury problems during his Stamford Bridge career, with hamstring and knee issues restricting him to just 13 Premier League games during the 2023-24 campaign.

According to The Athletic, Chelsea are open to selling Chilwell ‘for the right price’ as doubts emerge over his suitability to Maresca’s style of play. A report from the Daily Mail claims Manchester United are monitoring the situation.

Chilwell is one of the highest earners at Stamford Bridge after signing a new contract in 2022, which runs until 2027 and included a pay rise taking him to £200,000-a-week.

His wage demands and the fee Chelsea would demand for the England international are likely to be a stumbling block for any potential deal with a club outside of Europe’s elite.

The Blues paid £50million to sign the left-back from Leicester City in 2020 when Frank Lampard was in charge and he has gone to become a key figure in the club’s recent history.

However, his place has been under threat since Marc Cucurella arrived in a £62m transfer from Brighton in August 2022, and the Spaniard was preferred towards the end of last season by Mauricio Pochettino.

That could prove to be the case under Maresca too, who admitted he is still trying to find a role in his team for Chilwell. Malo Gusto has been trialled in the inverted left-back position in pre-season ahead of Chilwell, who is yet to start under the new boss.

Chilwell is vice-captain at the club and with Conor Gallagher departing, the dressing room may need his experience more than ever. As one of the club’s senior players, Chilwell may need to help Maresca to guide the squad through another potentially turbulent period of change.

Results in pre-season have offered a worrying glimpse into how their league campaign could pan out, with a heavy 4-1 defeat to Celtic followed by a 4-2 loss at the hands of a young Manchester City side.

They start their new domestic season with a tough home fixture against the champions on August 18 and Chilwell is likely to start the season on the bench – and that could be enough to convince the full-back to ponder an exit after four years in west London.