Chelsea contacted over late Ben Chilwell loan exit | OneFootball

Chelsea have been contacted by Crystal Palace over a late loan deal for Ben Chilwell, according to multiple reports.

Chilwell has been completely frozen out at Stamford Bridge by Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who has preferred to utilise Marc Cucurella, Reece James, Malo Gusto and Renato Veiga, prior to his loan move to Juventus, at left-back.

The 28-year-old hasn't been involved in Premier League matchday squad, with his sole appearance of the 2024/25 campaign a 45-minute outing against League Two Barrow in the Carabao Cup.

Maresca brutally told Chilwell in August that it was "better to leave and go and get minutes", and that's proven to be the case for Chelsea's vice-captain as he continues to watch on from the sidelines, even though his manager has praised him for being "top" in subsequent press conferences.

Fabrizio Romano and football.london both report that Crystal Palace, who have notably improved in recent weeks after a difficult start to the season, have reached out to Chelsea over Chilwell, potentially rescuing him from his west London nightmare.

Oliver Glasner wants to strengthen at Palace / Steve Bardens/GettyImages

It's believed the Eagles want to add further depth to their squad, seeing Chilwell as the ideal player to challenge Tyrick Mitchell for a starting berth in Oliver Glasner's system that utilises three central defenders and wing-backs.

Negotiations are thought to have started with Chilwell's representatives, though there's no indication that a deal is close to being completed yet.

Palace have invested significantly this season to reward Glasner for an impressive first half-season in charge, signing the likes of Ismaila Sarr, Eddie Nketiah and Maxence Lacroix in the summer. Romain Esse has also been added to the squad in January, boosting Palace's forward ranks after an impressive season with Millwall.

Prior to joining Chelsea in 2020, in a deal worth £45m, Chilwell played 123 times for Leicester City in all competitions and also earned a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad. He has been capped 21 times, with that figure likely to have been far higher had he not been set back by a string of serious injuries.