BREAKING: Chelsea star refuse to take ‘Pay Cut’ to Leave Chelsea
According to The Sun, Chelsea may face a significant challenge in offloading Ben Chilwell this January, as the defender is reportedly unwilling to take a pay cut to leave the club. Chilwell, who joined Chelsea from Leicester City in 2020 for £50 million, still has two and a half years remaining on a contract worth £190,000 per week.
The 28-year-old left-back has fallen out of favour under Enzo Maresca, who has excluded him from the first team and the squad for the Conference League, a competition in which fringe players have been given opportunities. Chilwell’s only appearance this season was 45 minutes in Chelsea’s 5-0 Carabao Cup victory over Barrow.
“There are players that unfortunately didn’t play a lot with us in all the competitions, like Chilwell, like Carney,” Maresca said in a recent press conference. “Probably they are the first that want to leave as they work every day, they train every day, they want to play games – and if they don’t play games they are thinking of leaving. So we’re going to see if some of them are coming to knock on the door and say I want to leave. For each player it’s a different situation.”
Despite his lack of game time, Chilwell is reportedly reluctant to forgo his lucrative contract to help Chelsea offload him. As per The Sun, Chelsea may need to get creative to find a resolution, possibly offering the defender a severance package or arranging a heavily subsidised loan deal to facilitate a move.
Chilwell’s situation highlights the club’s broader January transfer plans, with several players earmarked for potential exits. Alongside the England international, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei, Harvey Vale, and Alex Matos are also candidates for departures.
Chukwuemeka, signed from Aston Villa for £20 million in 2022, has similarly struggled for game time under Maresca. The manager commented on the matter, saying, “There are players that unfortunately didn’t play a lot with us in all the competitions. Like Chilwell, like Carney. Probably they are the first that want to leave as they work every day, they train every day, they want to play games.”
Chilwell’s difficulties in securing a move were compounded by a disappointing 2023/24 campaign, during which he made just 13 Premier League appearances due to hamstring and knee issues. These injuries also ruled him out of England’s Euro 2024 squad and deterred potential buyers over the summer, including Manchester United.
Chelsea fans will be keen to see how the club handles Chilwell’s situation and whether solutions can be found to ease the squad’s congestion while supporting Maresca’s vision for the future.