London, Feb 3 (IANS) Chelsea and Crystal Palace have reportedly reached an agreement for former vice captain Ben Chilwell over a short-term loan deal.
Chilwell was one of the players who was left as an outcast under head coach Enzo Maresca and was unable to secure a move ahead of the summer transfer deadline.
The Italian head coach had bluntly stated that it would be better for the English fullback to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge and get some minutes at another club. Following the deadline, Chilwell was reintroduced in the first team training but was not a part of the first team.
The 28-year-old defender will undergo a medical on Monday ahead of completing a proposed move to Selhurst Park for the remainder of the season, according to The Athletic report.
Chilwell’s only appearance so far in the 2024/25 season came as a substitute in a 5-0 Carabao Cup win over League Two team Barrow in September, where he made a 45-minute cameo.
Palace are desperately looking to bolster their defense after defender Chadi Riad faces an extended spell on the sidelines with a suspected anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The 21-year-old has been ruled out for the season.
Alongside, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, who was on loan at Crystal Palace, was recalled by Maresca from his spell after losing their defenders Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana to hamstring injuries.
The 28-year-old Chilwell was a part of Leicester City’s famous 2015-16 squad that went on to win the Premier League before he secured a 50 million-pound move to Stamford Bridge. He was an established starter for the side under the tenure of Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel, which included him starting the 2021 UCL final, where the side defeated Manchester City 1-0.
Since then, Chilwell’s Chelsea career has been swept with injuries. An ACL injury in the 2021-22 season, followed by a number of hamstring issues saw him fall out of starting contention at the West London club.
–IANS
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