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When Frank Lampard took over at Chelsea from Maurizio Sarri, no one expected him to make the impact he has made.
Under Lampard, Chelsea have not only played exciting attacking football, but they are also in a good position to qualify for Champions League football. However, defensively they have some issues that need to be resolved.
In the left-back position, Chelsea have Marcos Alonso and Emerson. Both of them have been below par this season. Thus Chelsea were linked with a move for Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell.
The Englishman is a good player; he is young, energetic and good at both attacking and defending. However, it will be difficult for Chelsea to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
Leicester City have always proved to be very difficult negotiators, and they won't let Chilwell leave for cheap, especially if they qualify for Champions League next season. Frank Lampard clearly needs a left-back at Chelsea, but Chilwell is not the answer.
The youngster has been sometimes inconsistent, and the Foxes will ask for big money for him. In the post-COVID-19 pandemic, they are likely to demand around $60 million for him.
The Foxes asked for a similar amount for Harry Maguire, which Manchester United obliged. Though Maguire has been good, but clearly he has failed to justify his enormous price tag.
Chilwell, as well, is a good player but he is definitely not worth the money Leichester City are asking for him. If Chelsea sign him they could end up in a similar position like the Red Devils where they have overpaid for a player.
The Blues should instead look for players who will either cost less than Chilwell. Even if they have to pay a big amount, the incoming player should be worth the money. Thus, here are five players Chelsea should target instead of Chilwell.
Five left-backs Chelsea should target instead of Ben Chilwell:
#5: Sergio Reguilon (Real Madrid)
The 23-year-old Serge Reguilon had his breakthrough last year at Real Madrid under Santiago Solari. During that season, he was picked ahead of Marcelo as well. However, with the return of Zinedine Zidane, he was loaned out to Sevilla where he has made 34 appearances for the club.
Reguilon is good at hitting pinpoint crosses, and he has a good workrate as well. Though he may not be a finished product, but neither is Chilwell. Reguilon is likely to cost less than the Englishman. Moreover, he is a passionate player, something which any manager would like to have in his team.
This season, Chilwell has made 34 appearances, providing three assists while Regullion made 33 appearances where he provided four assists.
It should also be kept in mind, though, that Chilwell is playing for a Leicester team that didn't have any European football this season, and he had a great striker in Jamie Vardy to provide for. Reguilon, on the other hand, played for a very young Sevilla team, but still managed similar stats like Chilwell.
Currently, at Real Madrid, Reguilon is unlikely to get much playing time following the arrival of Ferland Mendy. Zidane is also likely to keep Marcelo at the club as well.
At the age of 23, Reguilon would want more playing time, and there have also been rumours that he will leave the club like Achraf Hakimi. If so, Chelsea could be a productive destination.
#4: Theo Hernandez (AC MIilan)
The AC Milan left-back Theo Hernandez arrived from Real Madrid last summer for a fee of €20 million. The 22-year-old is one of the few players in world football to have played for both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
The Frenchman has been a revelation since he joined AC Milan. He is known for his attacking instincts, having produced 2.78 touches in the opposition area per 90 minutes. He is a good dribbler as well, with 3.92 take-ons per 90 minutes. This season, Hernandez has scored seven goals and provided five assists in all competitions for the Italian team.
AC Milan are likely to demand around €40 million for him, but Chelsea should be able to get the deal done for less. Hernandez will cost less than Chilwell, and he also has the experience of playing for a top club.
He has played for the likes of Real Madrid and AC Milan, and he knows the demands of being a regular starter for a top club. It would also be good for him to move to a club like Chelsea where there would be more chances of him winning some silverware compared to AC Milan.
#3: Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dormtund)
Raphael Guerreiro is one such player who is probably one of the most underrated in world football. The Dortmund left-back is one of the best players in the Bundesliga. He is a very technical player and can play in various positions as well.
Despite being an attack-minded player, the 26-year-old has managed to maintain an 89.3% passing rate this season. During this campaign, he has scored eight goals in all competitions and has further provided five assists in 38 appearances.
Guerreiro is better at attacking than Chilwell, and he has pace as well, which helps him to cope up defensively. He was a Euro winner with Portugal in 2016 and has made 24 appearances for Dortmund in the Champions League. At the age of 26, he is approaching his peak as well.
Last year, Guerreiro signed a contract extension, and this could be a problem for Chelsea to acquire his services. There has been interest for him from top European clubs like Barcelona and Liverpool as well.
#2: Alex Sandro (Juventus)
Juventus' Brazilian left-back Alex Sandro is undoubtedly one of the best-left backs in world football. Though recently, he has had a dip in form, but he is still a quality player.
Sandro is a tough defender who is equally good at attacking and defending. The former Porto left-back is blessed with plenty of pace and energy to run up and down the left flank. The reason why he is on this list is because he is a player Chelsea can sign in the next transfer window.
Juventus are currently managed by former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri. During his time at Chelsea, Jorginho was his favourite.
The Italian has done well under Frank Lampard, but since the restart he hasn't been in the Chelsea starting lineup. Billy Gilmour, who was selected ahead of him, has now been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Chelsea could use Jorginho in a swap deal for Sandro. The idea here is that Sandro is at his peak; he is a player who has experience of playing in big European nights as well.
Lampard wants to challenge Liverpool next season, and for that Chelsea need players who are at their peak; Sandro perfectly fits the bill perfectly.
#1: David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
David Alaba is criminally one of the most underrated players in world football. Pep Guardiola, who managed Alaba during his time at Bayern Munich, described the Austrian as 'god', stating that he is capable of playing in ten different positions.
Despite being a left-back, Alaba has adapted very well as a centre back. At first look, no one can even say that he is not a centre-back because of his technical ability and superb reading of the game. A player of his quality will definitely take the Chelsea squad to a new level.
With all due respect to Chilwell, there is simply no comparison between him and Alaba. The Austrian is 28 years old, but it seems like he has been around for a very long time. Alaba's composure on the ball and ability to make excellent runs are second to none.
Pep Guardiola is also keen to reunite with Alaba at Etihad Stadium; the Austrian has just one year remaining on his current contract.
However, if Chelsea are willing to pay around $60 million for Chilwell, they might as well better spend it on Alaba. Though it is likely that Alaba would want to sign for City, but Frank Lampard should make a bid for Alaba as he is the kind of player who would help Chelsea compete with the likes of Liverpool and City.
