It might seem absurd to describe £50million as a bargain, but then again – young, English, seriously talented footballers cost a fair bit more than that these days.
Declan Rice, Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho might just go for double this summer, which suggests Chelsea got a pretty good deal on Ben Chilwell.
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Chilwell has wasted no time at Chelsea
While Frank Lampard’s German imports, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, have struggled since their big-money moves in the summer, Chilwell has been worth every penny.
Chelsea managed a fourth-place finish last season, and while they spent big on attacking firepower in the summer, defence was their biggest cause for concern.
After 18 games in the 2019/20 campaign, Chelsea had scored 33 goals and conceded 25. This season? Scored 33, conceded 21.
Their attack has not improved, but Chilwell and Thiago Silva, who arrived on a free transfer, have immediately made Chelsea better in defence.
Chelsea’s defence has been transformed – it’s attack where they have struggled
Chilwell is yet to make a mistake in a Chelsea shirt, and given Lampard’s lack of faith in Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, his arrival was arguably the most important of all the Blues’ summer signings.
It was the only position where Chelsea seriously lacked quality – and to find someone who fits in so seamlessly has been one of the few positives this season.
Add to that the two goals and four assists, and suddenly you’re wondering where Chelsea would be without the 24-year-old this campaign, both in attack and defence.
Havertz and Werner have struggled since arriving in the summer
Werner and Havertz will surely come good, given their talent, but Chilwell must be praised for the immediacy of his impact.
Leicester held out for £80m when they sold Harry Maguire to Manchester United in 2019 – and there were some who believed the Blues paid over the odds for Chilwell.
However, as the England international returns to his former club for Leicester vs Chelsea on talkSPORT this Tuesday night, the Blues will arrive at the King Power knowing they got the better end of that deal at the beginning of the campaign.
But with Leicester six points above them, Chelsea’s other summer signings need to step up if they want to get the better of their opponents come the end of the season.