With Ben Chilwell linked to both Chelsea and Man City, here at Foxes Fancast, we have put together summaries of all potential replacements. With opinions from the fans of the teams they play far, those who watch the players the most!
Ben Chilwell and James Maddison celebrate against Chelsea, current favourites for the signature of the England Left Back - Credit: Phil Spencer
Over the past two years, Ben Chilwell has established himself as England’s premier left back, making 11 appearances for Gareth Southgate's men including a remarkable performance vs Montenegro, racking up three assists as England annihilated their opponents 7-0. With 118 appearances for Leicester City (3 goals, 12 assists) since making his debut in 2015, Chilwell has gone from strength to strength and as a result, attracted attention from a number of clubs. In the past week, both Chelsea and Manchester City have been reported as interested in Ben Chilwell, with sources saying that the left-back would welcome a move.
So who would Brendan Rodgers look to as a replacement? A number of potential targets have has their names thrown in to the ring during the last few days, but just what should we expect as Foxes fans? Well, here at FoxesFancast, we have reached out to those who know the players best and are delighted to provide you with expert summaries on every single option that Jon Rudkin has to choose from!
James Justin
Justin signed for the Foxes in the summer of 2019 and has so far made 8 appearances in a blue shirt, as deputy to the full-back pairing of Ricardo and Chilwell. With Ricardo likely out for remainder of the season, Justin will get the perfect platform to showcase his talents. Luton season ticket holder and media intern at St Albans City FC - Steven Day, describes exactly what City fans should expect to see:
For Luton Town, James Justin was a brilliant young full-back, one that many would describe as being the full package. His raw pace and forwards runs, alongside passing ability and defensive awareness makes him a player that would suit any team in English football. At Luton, we have missed him thoroughly this season and were disappointed to not have him loaned back! Comfortable at both right and left back, he is able to be effective both in a system that suits patient build up play and also counter attacking football with focus on the wings. His pace means he is very rarely beaten down the line defensively, but then also glides past players when attacking. As a fan, one thing that was particular noticeable is that he has an intelligence that a lot of players don't, something that coupled alongside his physical attributes will see him have a great career. Ultimately, at the most important times, he can be relied on in both boxes, making him a great asset to any football team.
Tagliafico in action for Ajax, the Foxes have been linked with him as a potential replacement for Ben Chilwell Credit: Rex Features
Nicolas Tagliafico
With 25 appearances for Argentina, Nicolas Tagliafico is a composed full back who spent the majority of his career in South America before moving to Ajax in 2018. The 27 year old has two years left on his contract and has been an important part of Ajax's season so far, with both goals and assists in both the Eredivisie and Champions League. Below, Ajax fan and Twitter powerhouse @TheCruyffWay predicts just what City fans could see if Tagliafico was to make the move.
Nicolas Tagliafico is very strong defensively but in all honesty, the Eredivisie isn’t the strongest league. For Ajax, his ability going forward is probably the most important. He drives well, is very quick and for a defender is quite strong in front of goal. This season, he has contributed a decent amount of assists and goals, but it is important to remember that we have an extremely attacking style and are the best team in the league. In my opinion, his best attributes are his tackling and movement off the ball, meaning that he will adapt to a number of different leagues. He does get quite a lot of yellow cards, but most of them wouldn’t even be given in the Premier League so not entirely sure that that would be an issue.
Alex Grimaldo
A product of Barcelona's world famous 'La Masia' academy, Alejandro 'Alex' Grimaldo never made a first team appearance for the Spanish giants and moved to Benfica in 2016. It is here that he has established himself as one of the most exciting young full-backs in the world. Benfica fan Andre Sousa summarises Grimaldo's player profile below.
Grimaldo is very good attacking fullback and has a good number of assists in the last few years. He is an excellent crosser in open play and very technically gifted. However, when exposed to talented opponents, he can be a bit of a defensive liability, something that he will have to improve going forward. He has the playing style of Andy Robertson, just not as solid defensively. That being said, he will be a great addition to any team, especially if he is developed by a top level coach.
Alex Telles
Another full-back linked with the boys in blue is Brazilian full-back Alex Telles, who is currently playing for Porto in the Liga NOS. Telles has had a ridiculous season, with 8 goals and 5 assists in the league, reigniting the transfer rumours that have followed him throughout his career. The co-founder of TargetScouting, an in-depth bible of player profiles, Jeroen, gives his verdict on Telles below.
Alex Telles is a left back that is extremely good going forward. He has superb technique which allows him to be dangerous from dead-ball situations, with a strong ability to cross the ball and shoot from distance. He likes to make overlapping runs and is able to exploit the space he gets in the Liga NOS very well. Defensively, he likes to use his physical strength to outmuscle opponents and regain possession. Personally, I feel that he is likely to move to PSG.
Castagne playing in the Champions League for Atalanta - Credit: Getty Images - Photo via Marco Canoniero
Timothy Castagne
A name that a lot of Leicester fans will be familiar with, Timothy Castagne is a 24 year old full back playing in the Serie A for Atalanta. An excellent 2018 season, Castagne established himself as an excellent attacking full-back, the perfect example of the way the modern game is going. Ideally suited to give his verdict, @CThorpeFox86 is a huge Leicester City fan who also supports Atalanta, describing the full-back below and what would be seen if he graced the KP.
Castagne is a versatile Belgian who is comfortable playing LB, RB, LWB or LM but for Atalanta has been used primarily as a wing-back. For the last 12 months, he has been kept out of the squad by Robin Gosens. He is in the last year of his contract so it seems likely that he will be on his way out of Atalanta. Leicester have been linked with him for the last 6 months so it seems possible that they will be interested, however there will likely be competition from a few Premier League clubs as well as Napoli in the Serie A. He’s a solid player going forward who, prior to this year, had fit in well in Atalanta’s fluid attacking style that saw them outscore every Serie A team last season to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in their history. His weakness is a slight vulnerability defensively, but I believe he would be a solid addition, available for a relatively low fee.
Kieran Tierney
A full-back that would need no introduction to LCFC manager Brendan Rodgers, Tierney spent the majority of his career at Celtic, before moving to Arsenal last summer for £24m. Having recently turned 23, the defender's limited gametime this season has led to various news outlets reporting that he may be on his way up the M1 to God's country. Arsenal fan and sports writer Jack Devonport gives his verdict on the Scot below.
Tierney had his first season with us hampered by injuries and therefore only made a handful of appearances, mainly in the early rounds of the cup competitions. This had led a few people around the club to believe we could be tempted to let him go despite only playing a year. He probably played his best football for Brendan Rodgers at Celtic, winning young player of the season for three consecutive seasons. Arteta has been praising him recently and so it would be a surprise to me if he was willing to let him go, especially given the potential he showed up in Scotland. I think he would fit in really well at Leicester, but don’t personally believe it is likely to happen.
So what are your thoughts City fans? Who would you like to see if Chilwell does move? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!