Chelsea are desperately looking to turn their fortunes around and get back to their glory days of title challenges. Under Frank Lampard, there seems to be a plan in place that will eventually help the Stamford Bridge outfit reach their objectives.
The Blues have done quite well in the Premier League this season and their only objective right now would be to consolidate Champions League football for next season.
With their transfer ban recently uplifted, the club might have already started making reservations about who they are going to target in the summer to strengthen their squad for the new campaign.
The left-back position is an area that will most definitely be on their minds as Cesar Azpilicueta is currently being used there despite not being a specialist in that position. Here we take a look at three reasons why Chelsea's number one target for the summer should be Leicester City's Ben Chilwell.
#3 Proven quality in the Premier League
This is a factor that almost every Premier League club considers when they look to sign players. The big clubs are interested in signing players who have proven themselves in the English top-flight so that the risk of the player failing is considerably lower.
Chilwell is a player who is enjoying an impressive run at the league level and is considered one of the best left-backs in the country. He has been a class apart for Leicester City this season as he has made the left-back spot his own.
The 23-year-old has netted 3 goals and provided 9 assists for the Foxes in the league this term and his numbers look set to grow at the business end of the campaign. The low-risk factor involved in his signing, therefore, means that the Englishman is an obvious choice for the summer.
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#2 Current options at left-back aren't good enough
Lampard currently has two specialist left full-backs in the form of Emerson and Marcos Alonso. However, some might argue that the latter isn't even a full-back and was brought by former manager Antonio Conte to play as a left wing-back.
This season, with the rise of Reece James, Lampard has seemingly dropped both Alonso and Emerson in favor of Cesar Azpilicueta at left-back, which means the former Derby County manager clearly doesn't like the options he currently possesses in that position.
This is why reinforcements are needed at left-back, with Chilwell an obvious upgrade over the likes of Emerson, Alonso, and Azpilicueta.
#1 Chelsea's style of play under Lampard suits Chilwell
Chelsea have a definite way of playing under Lampard, with the manager usually requiring his full-backs to bomb forward in a system that suits possession-based football. This means the position demands a lot more while going forward and that is something that Chilwell could comfortably do.
The Englishman is ever so willing to make runs forward as we have seen the same from him countless times for Leicester City this season. These runs drag defenders out of position, which in turn provides space for the wingers to manoeuvre the ball and create goalscoring opportunities, either by cutting inside and having a shot on goal or by slipping the left-back or striker through.
Chilwell is likely to fit into Chelsea's system very smoothly and Lampard should definitely keep his eye on him for the summer.
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