Chelsea confirm new Ben Chilwell contract

Chelsea have confirmed that they have agreed a new long-term contract with Ben Chilwell.

The defender left Leicester City to move to Stamford Bridge in 2020 and has established himself as the club's first-choice option at left-back.

While injury has restricted the England international to 80 appearances during that period, he has still contributed nine goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Nevertheless, with just over two years remaining on his contract, Chilwell's future has been debated with rival clubs monitoring the situation.

Manchester City are known to be admirers of the 26-year-old and it has recently been claimed that Pep Guardiola was considering whether to make an approach in the summer.

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However, Chelsea's owners are generally against players having less than two years remaining on their respective deals, effectively forcing them to act with regards to Chilwell.

The West Londoners have now announced that they have successfully negotiated fresh terms with Chilwell signing a contract until the end of 2026-27.

Speaking to the club's official website, Chilwell said: "I feel very settled at Chelsea and have really enjoyed my time on the pitch here so I'm very pleased the club want me to be part of the project long-term, and am very happy to sign this extension to my contract.

"We are working hard for success and I will do my best to bring more smiles to the faces of the fans who have made me feel so welcome."

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Chilwell is the latest player to commit his future to Chelsea, with as many as 14 players now on deals between 2027 and 2031.

Chelsea's hierarchy must now decide how to handle other contractual matters with the likes of Mateo Kovacic and Mason Mount now having less than 18 months left on their respective deals.

While there have been suggestions that both players could be sold, the Premier League outfit are said to be eager to extend N'Golo Kante's contract until at least 2025.

The likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic also find themselves in a position where their contracts face being run down to 2024 unless there are any developments in the summer, Chelsea likely to sell as soon as possible rather than risk the pair becoming free agents.