Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell is “set to sign” a contract extension with the London club, ending Manchester City’s hopes of recruiting the left-back this summer, according to The Athletic‘s David Ornstein.

The England international had two years remaining on his current deal but he is now expected to commit his future to the Blues until 2027, with Ornstein saying that City will now need to move on to other targets:

🚨 EXCL: Ben Chilwell set to sign new 4yr contract at Chelsea. 26yo left wing-back approaching final 2yrs of current deal so fresh terms will take expiry from 2025 to 2027. Ends uncertainty over future amid interest from Manchester City @TheAthleticFC #CFC https://t.co/KTKkdTlITR

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) April 10, 2023

It is not a surprising development, to be honest with you. Chilwell has been one of the few Chelsea players who has performed well this season, so they were always expected to make every effort to keep him.

Even so, it means that City now have a big task on their hands finding an alternative option that can satisfy Pep Guardiola’s requirements to strengthen the left-hand side of defence.

With Joao Cancelo set to leave on a permanent basis this summer, and Sergio Gomez not deemed to be good enough to be a regular starter, it’s a position that the club need to prioritise in the next transfer window.