Ben Chilwell remains “more than happy” to represent Chelsea, even after being cast out from the first team by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca.
The left-back was among a group of over a dozen players, dubbed the ‘bomb-squad,’ who were exiled by Maresca over the summer and informed they had no future at Stamford Bridge. Unlike Raheem Sterling, Conor Gallagher, and Romelu Lukaku, who managed to secure transfers away from the club, Chilwell finds himself still wearing blue.
Due to his high wages—reported to be around £200,000-a-week—and a concerning injury history, there was never any serious interest in the England international. While there have been tentative links to a move to Turkey, where the transfer window remains open until Friday, it seems likely that Chilwell will stay put for now.
Maresca has been firm in his stance, stating that he will not reconsider his decision regarding the exiled players. Chilwell has been excluded from Chelsea’s UEFA Conference League squad, and it is anticipated that he will also be omitted from the Premier League squad, which is set to be announced on Friday. This leaves the Carabao Cup as the only competition in which he might feature for the Blues this year.
Despite the uncertain situation, the Daily Mail reports that Chilwell is “more than happy” to play in the Carabao Cup, while the club itself would prefer to see him on the pitch in some capacity over the coming months. Sources close to the player suggest it “makes no sense” to bench him entirely, as it could only further reduce his market value and appeal to potential buyers when the transfer window reopens in January.
Chelsea kick off their Carabao Cup campaign with a home match against League Two side Barrow on September 24. Until then, Chilwell’s immediate future remains in the balance as the Blues prepare for their Premier League fixtures against Bournemouth on Saturday night and London rivals West Ham on September 21.
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