Chelsea agree deadline day loan deal with Crystal Palace
- Ben Chilwell heading out of Chelsea exit door after playing just once for Enzo Maresca
- Left-back hoping to get career back on track at Crystal Palace
- Former Leicester star cost Chelsea £45m in 2020 transfer
Chelsea have agreed to send Ben Chilwell on loan to Crystal Palace for the remainder of the season, multiple reports have confirmed.
The 28-year-old has played just 45 minutes of Carabao Cup football this season, with Enzo Maresca keen to prioritise other options.
Chilwell cost Chelsea around £45m when signing from Leicester City in 2020 and initially made a great impression at Stamford Bridge. He also became a regular fixture for Gareth Southgate's England, showing an impressive instinct for getting forward in addition to his defensive duties.
But his career has been derailed by a catalogue of injuries, which include a cruciate ligament tear in his knee and several serious hamstring pulls. Chilwell's knee issues have never fully been resolved either, causing him to miss in excess of 100 games for club and country through injury alone.
Sky Sports confirm that an agreement is in place for Chilwell to head to south London, where he'll link up with a Palace side who have been getting stronger as the season has gone on. A slow start left manager Oliver Glasner fearing a relegation battle, but some impressive wins both home and away have surged the Eagles up the Premier League table.
Sunday's 2-0 win over Manchester United, courtesy of a Jean-Philippe Mateta brace, was the latest feather in Palace's cap, and they now sit just four points behind rivals Brighton & Hove Albion in the top half of the Premier League table.
By signing Chilwell, they will be providing competition on the left for Tyrick Mitchell, who has demonstrated his ability to play both as a conventional left-back but also in a more advanced wing-back role.
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