The England international joins us from Leicester City, the club where he began his professional career.
On making the move to Stamford Bridge, Chilwell said: ‘I am delighted to be joining Chelsea at this very exciting time for the club. I’m looking forward to being a part of this young, dynamic squad led by Frank Lampard as we challenge for honours next season. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully it won’t be long before we’re playing in front of the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge.’
Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia added: ‘We are very pleased to have completed our third addition to our exciting squad for the coming season. Ben brings plenty of top-level experience playing in the Premier League, Champions League and at international level, despite his young age.
‘We are confident Ben will adapt very quickly to being a Chelsea player and with the fixture programme for 2020/21 especially busy, he is a fantastic addition to the squad needed to challenge for honours.’
Chilwell is one of the most established and promising full-backs in the Premier League having made over 120 appearances for Leicester City since his debut as an 18-year-old back in October 2015.
An England international who likes to attack from left-back, contributing with assists and the occasional goal, Chilwell is equally adept at the defensive side of the game and has been a key figure in Leicester’s increasingly resilient rearguard in recent years.
In his most recent campaign at the King Power Stadium he featured on 33 occasions for Brendan Rodgers’ side, scoring three goals as the Foxes finished fifth.
How old is Ben Chilwell and what is his style of play?
The 23-year-old is a modern full-back in every sense of the phrase, combining athleticism and energy up and down the flank with excellent technique and ability to recover with pace in defensive transition.
As the role of the full-back has evolved in recent years, Chilwell has emerged as a player who can contribute in every area of the field. His left-footedness provides balance to the team and his eagerness to attack is facilitated by being assured in possession and reliable with deliveries into the box or penetrative passes forward.
Chilwell’s improvement in attacking output is evident with increased numbers for goal contributions in the past three Premier League campaigns, from two in 2017/18 to six in 2019/20.
Defensively, Chilwell is patient in the tackle, often utilising his tactical understanding and body positioning to keep tabs on tricky wingers and to limit their effectiveness. He is good one-against-one and has a useful burst of pace to recover when caught higher up the pitch as opponents spring forward on the counter-attack. At 5ft 10in, he is not the tallest but competes well in the air.
What is Ben Chilwell’s international record?
Chilwell represented England at every age group from the Under-18s up before making his senior debut for Gareth Southgate’s side in a friendly held in Leicester against Switzerland in September 2018.
He made his first start a month later in a Nations League goalless draw in Croatia and has 11 caps in total for the Three Lions to date.
