Three big questions: Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell and combating expectations
By Travis Tyler
Ben Chilwell has become a Chelsea player with mixed expectations. What questions should be asked of the English left back?
Chelsea finally got their man in Ben Chilwell. Left back had long been an area to target for Frank Lampard and his staff and the club was able to bring in his number one target. Fans may have concerns about the price in comparison to other potential targets, but Chilwell has plenty of time to set those fears aside. What questions should be asked of Chilwell ahead of the new season?
1. How can he deal with the concerns surrounding him?
Chilwell comes to Chelsea at a much lower price point than originally advertised. Leicester City missing out on Champions League, Chilwell wanting the move, and Covid’s effect on the market all played into the drop in price. But some fans are still concerned the Blues overpaid.
Much of this seems to come in step with rumors that Sergio Reguilon, Nicolas Tagliafico, and Alex Telles all have much lower prices. Stats can be a bit “choose your own ending” at times and that seems to be the case comparing any of these three with Chilwell. Only Tagliafico truly stands out among the group but there should be concerns about his age and still being in the Eredivisie. Telles has similar concerns out of Portugal. Reguilon compared favorably in many ways, but rumors of a buy back clause with Real Madrid would make it look more like an extended loan than a true transfer.
Chilwell has the advantage of age over all but Reguilon however. Being established in the Premier League for a few seasons already certainly helps too. But at the end of the day, the thing that matters most is Lampard wanted him most.
Mind, managers can make mistakes with their targets. At the same time, it is also good to back them in times like this. Chilwell may not be the most immediate, standout upgrade on Marcos Alonso or Emerson, but he can be in short order. Chelsea’s style of play suits him (arguably more than Leicester’s) and he can achieve great things in the right blue kit.
He simply needs to go out and play his game to prove the doubters wrong. That will be the fastest way to make people forget about Reguilon’s highlight reels on YouTube.