Chelsea close in on Ben Chilwell as Leicester City line up Champions League winner as replacement
Chelsea look to be edging closer to the signing of Ben Chilwell.
According to , Leicester City are increasingly resigned to Chilwell leaving and have stepped up their search for a new left-back.
Brendan Rodgers is said to have earmarked Ryan Bertrand, who has one year left on his contract at Southampton, as Chilwell's replacement.
Bertrand - a Champions League winner at Chelsea - is well known to Rodgers with the pair having worked together in the academy at Stamford Bridge.
Chilwell is keen to join Chelsea and Leicester are reported to have told their Premier League rivals they want a fee of around £75million for the England international– the same they sold Harry Maguire to Manchester United for last summer.
Despite the financial fall-out from the coronavirus pandemic, Chelsea are backing Frank Lampard heavily in the transfer market this summer.
Hakim Ziyech is joining from Ajax, while Timo Werner is also set to complete a switch from RB Leipzig – and Chilwell is Lampard's next target.
Chelsea could fund their deal for Chilwell, 23, by selling Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, The Times report says.
Lampard is also said to be willing to listen to offers for Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma, who is on Everton and Tottenham's radar.