Chelsea’s Treatment of Ben Chilwell Sparks Confusion
Chelsea’s approach to managing Ben Chilwell has been described as making “no sense” to those familiar with the situation, as the defender faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge. The 27-year-old was part of the club’s so-called ‘bomb squad’ this summer, a group of players excluded from Enzo Maresca’s plans and forced to train away from the main squad.
While other players such as Raheem Sterling, Trevoh Chalobah, and Armando Broja secured moves before the transfer deadline, Chilwell’s anticipated transfer did not materialize. As a result, he is expected to remain sidelined for the first half of the season with no clear path forward.
Despite hopes of a move to Turkey before their transfer window closed, Chilwell’s situation remains unresolved, and he is not expected to be included in Chelsea’s Europa Conference League squad or their 25-man Premier League roster.
Sources close to Chilwell believe it is counterproductive to keep him unused until January and argue that it would be more beneficial for him to remain visible and potentially attract interest for a future transfer.
The only potential opportunity for Chilwell to play could come in the Carabao Cup clash against Barrow later this month, although his participation in that match seems unlikely. Despite Maresca’s praise for Chilwell’s professionalism, Chelsea is reportedly open to covering part of his wages to facilitate a departure, as they did with Sterling’s loan move to Arsenal.
Source: https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2024/09/chelsea-transfer-news-enzo-maresca-forgotten-star-ben-chilwell
