Ben Chilwell set to complete Chelsea exit with move to Premier League rival

Ben Chilwell appears on the verge of leaving Chelsea after playing just 45 minutes under Enzo Maresca, though the left-back will remain in the Premier League.

Ben Chilwell is close to finalizing a transfer to Crystal Palace as he seeks to end his difficult spell at Chelsea.

The left-back joined Chelsea from Leicester in 2020 for around £45 million, but a string of injuries has hindered his promising career and caused him to lose his place in the England squad.

With Enzo Maresca’s appointment as manager, Chilwell’s Chelsea career has come to a halt, with his only appearance this season being a 45-minute outing against Barrow in the Carabao Cup. His only other involvement was being named in the matchday squad for a defeat to Newcastle in the same competition.

Chilwell has been overlooked since then, even being omitted from the UEFA squad for the Europa Conference League. Maresca confirmed in January that he was pushing for Chilwell to leave Stamford Bridge.

Now, that move looks imminent, with multiple reports indicating that Palace are working to sign him on loan. Chelsea have approved the deal, and the final terms are being finalized ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.

Palace manager Oliver Glasner has identified the 28-year-old as a key target to bolster his left-back options, with Tyrick Mitchell the only natural player in that position for Palace.

Maresca offered a frank evaluation of Chilwell’s future at the start of January, saying, “Because players want to play more, there are probably opportunities for them to leave. But Ben has been excellent. I must say that. He has been top.

“Very professional, works hard. I feel bad about the situation, but in terms of behavior, he has been very good. First of all, because it’s my choice. And I can see Malo Gusto, Reece James, or Marc Cucurella doing different roles in the game.

“I think Chilwell is a top full-back, capable of going up and down, with past opportunities to win titles and play for the national team. But I struggle to see Ben doing different roles.”

Chilwell’s potential move will please Glasner, who saw Chelsea recall Trevoh Chalobah earlier in the window. Ahead of this weekend’s match with Manchester United, the Austrian hinted his team would be active in the