CRYSTAL PALACE and Ipswich are both tracking Ben Chilwell and could make a move for the defender in January.
The full-back almost left Chelsea over the summer but stayed at Stamford Bridge after failing to find a new club.
However, sources say the ex-Leicester City star is concerned about the lack of game-time he is likely to get in West London – and is open-minded to a transfer.
That has put Palace and Ipswich on red alert over a deal for the 21-cap England international.
Chelsea are also thought to be keen to explore the option of letting Chilwell leave as they grapple with the demands of trying to manage a massive squad.
It comes just weeks after it seemed Chilwell had secured a dramatic pathway back into the fold at Chelsea after being named in their Premier League squad.
The £50million defender was one of the infamous members of the so-called ‘bomb squad’ banished from training with the rest of the squad by manager Enzo Maresca during the transfer window.
But after failing to find a new club, Chilwell was later included on the 25-man list of players for top-flight games this season in a surprise U-turn.
The 27-year-old’s last appearance for Chelsea was as a two-minute substitute in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City back in April.
He then became one of 13 big-name players forced to work alone when the club’s summer spending spree took the size of the squad to 42 players at one point.
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Chelsea managed to offload many of those stars in a frantic finish to the latest transfer window.
Raheem Sterling joined Arsenal, Trevoh Chalobah is on loan at Crystal Palace and Kepa Arrizabalaga joined Bournemouth on loan too.
No deals could be done for Chilwell and he will now remain at Chelsea until at least January.
His long-term place at Stamford Bridge looks shaky with Marc Cucurella, Renato Veiga and Levi Colwill ahead of him in the pecking order at left-back.
CHELSEA needed a late moment of magic from Christopher Nkunku to snatch all three points from Bournemouth.
Marcus Tavernier crashed a super strike against the crossbar early on and Robert Sanchez saved an Evanilson penalty before the break.
Jadon Sancho came on for his debut at half-time and made the difference for the Blues as he set up Nkunku’s winner.
Here’s how SunSport’s Graham Nickless rated Maresca’s men…
Robert Sanchez – 8
Man-of-the-match show with first-half penalty save from Evanilson and a handful of excellent saves.
But rather fortunate to stay on the pitch after denying Evanilson a clear goalscoring opportunity with a deliberate foul that led to the spot-kick.
Axel Disasi – 5
The right-back was given an uncomfortable night down the right side.
Given the runaround by Cherries dangerman Antoine Semenyo and was replaced just after the hour.
Wesley Fofana – 6
Did his best to keep a clean sheet when run ragged by the home strikers.
Luckily for the centre-back, he could rely on Sanchez to keep them out.
Levi Colwill – 6
Did his best to calm the storm that came the Blues’ way for most of the match.
Made sure he kept record-signing Evanilson away from notching his first Premier League goal.
Marc Cucurella – 7
Always busy and making a nuisance of himself when he wasn’t being buffeted by Semenyo’s marking.
But overdid it with one stupid, deliberate shoulder barge on the Bournemouth winger.
Renato Veiga – 5
Suffered like most of his team-mates to open up the home side’s defence.
The Portuguese midfielder didn’t see enough of the ball to make an impact.
Moises Caicedo – 7
The captain was always looking for that defence-splitting pass when he wasn’t on defensive duty.
Gave an example to others around him who weren’t putting in a decent shift.
Noni Madueke – 5
Was quite mad attempting an early shot at the home goal that ended up as a throw-in.
And it didn’t get much better than that for the winger who was hauled off just after the hour.
Cole Palmer – 5
Rested by England for tired muscles and there wasn’t much energy in this performance.
But the Cherries, worried by his reputation, did target him in the first half.
Pedro Neto – 5
Failed to make any impact on the wing but could claim he had little or no service.
Boss Maresca had seen enough and brought on Sancho to replace him at half-time.
Nicolas Jackson – 5
Chelsea fans won’t want to suffer another nine years of this from the big striker.
Had one shot comfortably saved and another blocked but will need to show more upfront for his ludicrous long contract.
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Jadon Sancho (for Neto) – 8
Was booked 11 minutes after coming on then, looked likely throughout second half and set up Nkunku’s equaliser on super debut.
Tosin Adarabioyo (for Disasi) – 6
Was seldom troubled.
Joao Felix (for Madueke) – 5
Tidied up in midfield.
Christopher Nkunku (for Jackson) – 8
Burst through three players to score and snatch the winner.
CHELSEA are a circus — aren’t they?, writes Troy Deeney.
But the bigger concern should be if somehow, some way, Todd Boehly’s insane master-plan brings about success this season.
Finish in the top four. Win a trophy like the FA Cup.
He will then turn around and say: “See, it works” and all of a sudden, other clubs will begin considering copying this mad model to try and compete in the Premier League.
Before you know it, there will be a bigger divide between the top clubs and the rest and this country’s top flight will become something we have been fighting against — a Super League.
The smaller sides and promoted teams will be wiped out by the elite and will end up saying, ‘What’s the point?’
Football as we know it will change, and there will be no going back.
As a neutral, you don’t want to wish failure on a club or a regime, but it’s depressing to think about.
We should almost be looking at it in amazement — the owners have come in with this model and they’ve treated it as if they are buying stocks and shares, not players or human beings.
Boehly has wiped away any sense of sentiment or old-school values from that club and the worrying thing is that he doesn’t seem to care.
Does he even like football?
Read Troy Deeney’s hard-hitting opinion on Boehly’s Chelsea shambles in full.
Or check out all of Troy’s columns on SunSport.
