Report claims Leicester have already identified Ben Chilwell replacement

Leicester City have already identified the man they want to replace Ben Chilwell should he depart the club this summer, according to reports. 

Chilwell, who has made 27 appearances in all competitions for the Foxes this season, has continued to attract interest from elsewhere, with the likes of Manchester City, Totteham and Chelsea thought to be interested.

The left-back has previously been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium, with reports suggesting that Spanish club Atletico Madrid attempted to sign him ahead of the current campaign.

The 23-year-old stayed with Brendan Rodgers’ side though, and has played a key part in what has been an mostly impressive year from them that looks likely to end in Champions League qualification despite their poor run of form of late.

His performances mean it is likely that Leicester will have a job on their hands to keep the England international for another year, and the Times claim that should he move on the Midlands club see Burnley’s Charlie Taylor as a player who could to take his place.

The York-born defender has been at Turf Moor since July 2017, making 77 appearances for Sean Dyche’s team.

He had previously played for Leeds United, Bradford City and Fleetwood Town among others, while he was also capped twice by England U19 in his younger days.

He has gone onto establish himself as Premier League quality defender, making 63 appearances in England’s top flight.

Taylor also signed a new deal with the Clarets in November 2019, committing himself to the club until 2023 which could prove problematic for Leicester chiefs when it comes to negotiating a deal.

The report states that the Foxes have been watching Taylor for a while and have sent scouts to monitor his performances as they begin to lay down plans for the future.

It also says that while former Liverpool and Celtic boss Rodgers doesn’t want to lose Chilwell, the club will sell at a certain price as they did when Harry Maguire was allowed to make the switch to Manchester United last August for a £80 million – a world record fee for a defender.

It is likely they would demand a similar price for Chilwell, who has quickly developed into one of the top left-sided full-backs in the country after becoming a regular fixture in the Leicester team line-up in 2017/18.