While more ambitious Blues fans are salivating at the prospect of their attacking talent being integrated, with Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner already secured, while , the more cynical among them are wondering how a defence that conceded as many goals as Brighton (54) will improve without any reinforcements.
35-year-old Thiago Silva, now a free agent, would be a welcome addition in the middle, while on the left Chilwell has been long-linked but hasn’t been signed just yet.
The main concern from Chelsea has been the fee; Leicester, , had no desire to sell and so set the fee at £80m, but now that dream is over there has been a downgrade to the region of £50m. Chilwell is still just 23 and will therefore likely have sell-on potential for Chelsea in the future or, at least, retain some of that value. He also fits into Frank Lampard’s young, English player ethos, and though there are high-profile foreign arrivals, there will still be an English core to the group. Chilwell fits that perfectly.
Also, Marcos Alonso is probably the bemoaned member of the Chelsea squad, certainly among fans; the main bone of contention being that he has the propensity to switch off defensively, and that he was much more suited to playing left-wing back in Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 rather than as a standalone full-back. The arrival of Emerson from Roma two years really hasn’t worked out - he has started just 20 Premier League matches in that time. Given that Cesar Azpilicueta has featured on that side as a right-sided left-back, it highlights the problem Chelsea have, one that makes Chilwell look like a straightforward solution.
There’s one problem - Chilwell doesn’t seem to stand out in any particular area, certainly not in a way which justifies parting with £50m. He’s not particularly quick, he is far more effective offensively than defensively, and there are also legitimate concerns about his concentration.
But even offensively, if we look at shot creating actions - essentially passes, crosses or dribbles which lead to a team-mate shooting - Chilwell’s 2.35 is less than Alonso (2.96) and only just better than Azpilicueta (2.2). He attempts roughly as many progressive passes as that duo, while his expected assists - increasingly an area where modern full-backs are asked to contribute - is around 3.4; not a particularly standout total. Worth noting that two of his three league assists came in the 9-0 battering of Southampton, who had 10 men for 80 minutes of the contest.
His 104 crosses is only two more than the notoriously defensive Aaron Wan-Bissaka, while the Man Utd man is infinitely superior on tackles and interceptions. He’s not a natural defender in that regard and isn’t particularly comfortable in one-on-one scenarios. So if he’s not a standout attacker, nor as a defender, what exactly is he?
That’s hard to say. With Chelsea already acquiring a number of offensive players, what exactly are they looking for in their full-back? A defence leaking goals, the potential of a 35-year-old becoming an integral part of that unit, while the options on the other flank being between experience (Azpilicueta) and Reece James, who still needs time?
It’s hard to argue that Chelsea’s transfer approach seems more scattergun than measured, and, at the price and given the data, Chilwell doesn’t change that.