‘It was a no-brainer’ – Ben Chilwell swaps Chelsea for Crystal Palace in late window move

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has completed a move to Premier League rivals Crystal Palace on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 28-year-old left-back has not made a Premier League appearance since April 2024 and was told last August he was not part of Enzo Maresca’s future plans at Stamford Bridge.

The England international has only appeared once all season, in the second half of the Blues’ Carabao Cup win against Barrow way back in September.

Chelsea boss Maresca has previously said Chilwell, who has a contract until the summer of 2027, is free to leave on a permanent deal.

“I’m very excited to be here,” Chilwell told the official Crystal Palace website.

“Crystal Palace is a club that’s going in a great direction. You look at the last few months, with the results and how the team’s playing, and it was a no-brainer to make the decision to come here.”

Palace were keen to sign Chilwell to boost their defensive options after Morocco international Chadi Riad was ruled out for the rest of the season with a serious knee issue.

Chelsea signed Chilwell from Leicester City on a five-year deal for £45m in 2020, before extending his contract in April 2023, while the most recent of his 21 England caps came in a friendly in March 2024 against Belgium.

📩 New message: Ben Chilwell #CPFC pic.twitter.com/NYeCFsRevI

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) February 3, 2025

Palace are 12th in the Premier League with 30 points from 24 games and enjoyed an impressive 2-0 win at Manchester United last time out.

Chilwell could make his Eagles debut against Doncaster Rovers in the fourth round of the FA Cup on February 10.

READ MORE  ➡️ All the done deals by Premier League clubs in the January 2025 transfer window