Summer transfer window deadline day has come and passed, and Ben Chilwell remains at Chelsea. The English international and left back is not viewed as a positional fit on the flank of new manager Enzo Maresca’s back line. Chilwell, who was made vice captain at Chelsea at the start of last season, will now spend a season playing with the reserves unless he finds a new destination outside of Europe.
Despite having 21 England caps, Chilwell has no place in Chelsea’s over-bloated squad.
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Maresca has overtly told him to leave, but with the windows closing for all the major European leagues, he’ll now have to look at Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or other potential destinations.
Enter a place with some direct, obvious Chelsea connections, via twice former manager Jose Mourinho. According to Goal, “Chilwell has been linked with a potential switch to Fenerbahce.”
Mourinho is now leading the Turkish Super Lig side, and overall, this potential transaction seems like a good fit for all involved. Chilwell was linked to Brentford, but it didn’t materialize in time.
Chilwell was also linked to Manchester United (another of Mourinho’s former teams), but they lost interest.
Currently, Chilwell is below both Marc Cucurella, and the second strong, youngster Renato Veiga, on the depth chart so anywhere he goes would be an improvement.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.