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Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent believes Chelsea's full-back duo of Reece James and Ben Chilwell are the two Blues players who could get into Arsenal's starting XI.
Under Mikel Arteta's leadership, the Gunners have gone from struggling in mid-table to being title contenders in the Premier League. Conversely, the Blues are having difficulty meeting expectations and are likely to finish outside the European spots for the second season running.
Given the current dynamics of both teams, Darren Bent believes only two players from the Blues' squad, Ben Chilwell and Reece James, would slot into this Arsenal team. He told TalkSPORT (via HITC):
“Left-back Chilwell when he is fully fit maybe. If [Reece James] is fully fit and he can guarantee you a full season, then maybe. But you expect these Chelsea players, at some point, to come good. They have to. They are miles behind challenging for the league, but they haven’t won the league for a while.”
Despite having stellar backgrounds that include winning the UEFA Champions League, both players' careers have been limited by injury. Reece James has not played a full game for the Blues this season. He is currently on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.
Ben Chilwell is currently fit, but he has only played 12 games in the Premier League this season. He missed out on nearly a full season back in 2021/22 after tearing his cruciate ligament. Since then, he has dealt with recurring hamstring injuries.
Chelsea may need to sell Mykhaylo Mudryk to Arsenal: William Gallas
After an elongated transfer tussle between Arsenal and Chelsea, Mykhaylo Mudryk was signed by the Blues in January 2023 for a reported £87 million. However, with just five goals and five assists in 45 games, Mudryk has fallen short of the hype, and the Blues could be looking to move him on.
Former Blues defender William Gallas recently discussed the ongoing financial problems at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are teetering on the edge of breaking financial fair play rules, and Gallas believes they will need to balance their books by selling Mudryk if the Gunners want him. He told Lord Ping in an interview (via Mirror):
“If Arsenal still want Mykhaylo Mudryk and come in with a big fee, Chelsea will have no option but to sell him because of their financial issues. How Chelsea have got themselves in this situation is confusing. Chelsea will need to think properly on how to sort out their problems, otherwise the fans will continue to be frustrated.”
The Blues sold Kai Havertz to the Gunners for £65 million last summer. A similar deal could happen again this summer to see Mudryk move from west to north London.
