Ben Chilwell is back in training with the Chelsea first team after being exiled by new boss Enzo Maresca during the summer. The 27-year-old English left-back was among the senior players frozen out as part of the club’s summer overhaul. Unlike Raheem Sterling, who was rescued by London rivals Arsenal, Chilwell couldn’t secure a move.
He’s likely going to spend four months training without top-level football, hoping to find a club in January. Fortunately, he has now reached a truce with his manager, allowing him to rejoin the first team for training. However, Chilwell will still likely need to find a new club in January or in the summer. The Blues are still hell-bent on signing a new striker, and they could well look to move on the former Leicester City star to gather further transfer funds in the new year.
At 27, he still has plenty of football left at the top level. Securing a move to another “Big Six” club may be challenging, as most already have established left-backs. Chilwell would want to join a team where he can be a starter, especially if he hopes to return to the England squad.
As a UEFA Champions League-winning left-back, he would be a valuable addition to many teams outside the top six. West Ham would be an ideal club for Chilwell at this stage of his career. The Hammers have big ambitions, but their current defenders don’t quite match those ambitions.
West Ham, the sixth highest spenders in the Premier League over the summer, acted smartly by signing Manchester United outcast Aaron Wan-Bissaka – who penned a whopping seven-year deal with his new club – for the right-back position, and they shouldn’t miss the chance to upgrade their left-back position as well. The club currently relies on an ex-Chelsea man in 30-year-old Emerson Palmieri as their starting left-back, with 34-year-old Aaron Cresswell as his backup.
Julen Lopetegui should prioritize Chilwell as a target for the winter transfer window. Not only is he younger and more talented than their current options, but he also fits Lopetegui’s expansive style of football. The English left-back provides better width in attack and would combine effectively with Mohammed Kudus, who is currently deployed on the left side of the attack.
In West Ham’s recent matches, we’ve seen Kudus – who thrives when drifting inside – being forced to stay wide late in games because Emerson tires from overlapping and has to be subbed off. With Chilwell, the Ghanaian star wouldn’t need to stay wide, as Chilwell’s energy and stamina allow him to continue overlapping throughout the match.
West Ham under Lopetegui have managed only four points from as many games in the league so far, a disappointing return given their goal of qualifying for European competition. In the Premier League’s most competitive era, clubs can’t afford to pass up quality improvements when they become available. Chilwell would jump at the chance to be at a team like West Ham, and they’d do well to roll the dice.
