Chelsea hope Leicester will be forced to lower their asking price for Ben Chilwell by the left-back requesting a transfer.
Frank Lampard is looking for defensive reinforcements and knows left-back has been a problem position this season. The manager is not convinced by Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, the latter a target for Internazionale and Juventus, and is a big fan of Chilwell, although Chelsea could look elsewhere if the England international proves too expensive.
Leicester are regarded as tough negotiators and could demand the kind of money they received for Harry Maguire, who joined Manchester United for £80m last summer. Chelsea, who are considering whether to strengthen in central defence by bidding for West Ham’s Declan Rice, have identified Ajax’s Nicolás Tagliafico and Atalanta’s Robin Gosens as alternative targets.
Leicester’s position could be weakened by their failure to qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea hope the club will have to soften their stance if Chilwell, who is interested in moving to Stamford Bridge, asks to leave. Brendan Rodgers has said he does not want to keep players who see their futures elsewhere. Leicester are understood to be prepared to sell one key player this summer and are set to end speculation over James Maddison’s future by agreeing a new four-year deal worth £110,000 a week with the midfielder.
Chelsea have spent big to improve their attack, signing Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and are close to landing Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz. They are likely to need to offload players if they complete a £70m deal for Havertz but Lampard is delaying decisions on who he wants to sell until after Chelsea face Arsenal in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
The need to improve defensively is not lost on Lampard, whose side conceded 54 goals in the league despite finishing fourth. Chelsea are interested in Rice, who was released from their academy at the age of 14, and it is understood that West Ham could be forced to sell the 21-year-old.
West Ham are keen to find funds to press ahead with a move for the Queens Park Rangers forward Eberechi Eze, they and are not in a strong financial position because of the coronavirus pandemic. Rice, who is capable of playing as a centre-back despite flourishing as a defensive midfielder in the past two seasons, is by far their biggest asset.
David Moyes is desperate not to lose the England international, who has four years left on his contract, and will reject any attempt by Chelsea to do a swap deal involving Ross Barkley and Michy Batshuayi. Yet they could be tempted to sell at the right price. Chelsea would have to offer at least £65m.
