Manchester City are lining up a £50m offer for Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell in the January transfer window, according to reports in the UK.
The Citizens are said to be keen to strengthen their options on the left-hand side with Benjamin Mendy out with a knee injury.
Some fans on Twitter are keen to see Chilwell make the move to the Etihad:
Please be true?
— larry brian kitheka (@KithekaBrian) 14 December 2018
Need a LB soon. Please make it happen.
— Srinjoy Nath (@iamsrnj) 14 December 2018
Yeah this would be a very good buy
— Ubaid Bashir (@UbaidBashir04) 14 December 2018
I like this one. Hope we do sign Him
— Blessing Ramasepela (@King_B890) 13 December 2018
Genuinely we need a solid left back and this lad would fit
— James Turner (@JaTu90) 13 December 2018
I would be ok with this. Good defender. Young. English.
— Cliff Larsen (@CheddaMCFC) 13 December 2018
Well that’s what we need right now,a proper left back ,tired of them makeshift ones
— Peachy (@rizwankar) 13 December 2018
This is ambitious l think the guy recently signed a new contract like two months ago its gonna be difficult but make it happen city
— Brian Meluleki (@BrianMeluleki) 14 December 2018
While others felt that a move for the England international isn’t likely:
I do not believe it…to me fake news but what the heck do I know!
— Charles Marcus MCFF (@CharlesMCanada) 14 December 2018
Do we have a left-back problem?
— I’m not really here (@HereReallyNotIm) 13 December 2018
Very talented but I reckon he’s got more or less the same problem as all of our left backs. He attacks well and often gets countered while being out of position
— Lost Above (@LostAbove) 13 December 2018
It is certainly true that Pep Guardiola has limited options at left-back without Mendy. Both Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko are midfielders by trade but they have not let anyone down when asked to play out of position.
Much may depend on how quickly Mendy returns to full fitness in the New Year. The estimated recovery time following surgery on his knee was ten to twelve weeks. That would put a return date of mid-February.
Paying £50m to replace a player who could be back within days of the transfer window closing doesn’t sound particularly logical, but with the club only having one natural left-back in the squad, a move to strengthen that area shouldn’t be ruled out.