Chelsea could be forced into selling Ben Chilwell this summer amid growing interest from Manchester City, according to reports.

The Blues could potentially let as many as a dozen players leave the club this summer, as Graham Potter looks to trim down his oversized squad.

Chilwell has struggled with injuries since joining Chelsea for £50m in 2020, but on his day, he is arguably one of the Premier League’s best left-backs, hence the interest from City.

This is according to the Athletic, who claim that Chelsea could look to sell Chilwell as part of their summer clearout.

So far, the England international has made just 76 appearances for the London giants in the last three years, scoring nine goals and making 12 assists in the process.

Chilwell did, however, play a key role in Chelsea’s Champions League victory in 2021, so there is no doubt that the defender can perform at the very highest level.

This season, a hamstring injury has ruled Chilwell out of 10 games, so injuries have proved to be a real issue for the Englishman.

However, since returning to Potter’s starting XI in the last four games, he has had a positive impact, helping his team to two wins against Leeds and Leicester City, scoring one goal and making one assist.

In those matches, Chilwell played as a wing-back in Chelsea’s new 3-4-3 formation, with the Blues looking much more dangerous in that system.

But, despite his recent form, there is still a good chance that Chilwell will depart Stamford Bridge this summer, with Marc Cucurella set to become Chelsea’s long-term left-back.

As for Manchester City, they are currently on the hunt for a new left-back after Joao Cancelo joined Bayern Munich on loan in January, with him expected to leave the club permanently in the summer.

Pep Guardiola has opted to play Nathan Ake as a left-back in recent games after 22-year-old Sergio Gomez’s performances earlier in the campaign failed to earn the trust of the manager.

With that in mind, Chilwell could prove to be a valuable addition for the Cityzens, as he has the quality to slot straight into their starting XI if he can maintain his fitness.

With Chilwell’s contract with the Blues valid until 2025, they are under no immediate pressure to sell. However, according to Transfermarkt, Chelsea would entertain a bid in the region of £38m for the England international this summer.

City certainly have no shortage of transfer funds at their disposal, so it seems likely that they will meet Chelsea’s price tag if Guardiola makes the left-back his number one priority.

The only question is whether or not Chelsea will sell Chilwell to a Premier League rival, but as we all know in football, money talks, so if City do table an offer, there is a good chance this deal could happen.

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