Crystal Palace have confirmed the signing of Ben Chilwell on loan from Chelsea for the remainder of the season.
Chilwell, who was a vice-captain at the Blues, has made just one appearance for the Blues all season — a 45-minute cameo in September’s 5-0 win over Barrow in the Carabao Cup — after being frozen out by manager Enzo Maresca, who felt the England international did not suit his preferred formation.
LIVE: All the latest transfer news on Deadline Day
Palace have been targeting a new left-back this window with Tyrick Mitchell the only left-sided full-back in Oliver Glasner’s squad, and have now added the experienced Chilwell to their ranks.
“I'm very excited to be here,” Chilwell told the club’s official website.
“Crystal Palace are a club that's going in a great direction. You look at the last few months, with the results and how the team's playing, and it was a no-brainer to make the decision to come here."
Chilwell, 28, is Palace’s second new arrival of the winter window, following the signing of winger Romain Esse from Millwall for a deal worth up to £14.5million.
Chelsea were keen to get Chilwell off the wage bill, as he is one of the club's highest earners, so the Blues are expected to cover a percentage of his salary while he is at Palace.
