Leeds United remain active in the hunt for signings after completing a deal for Sebastiaan Bornauw, and The Whites have been offered the services of an England international.
Bornauw’s arrival is the third signing of the summer at Elland Road after deals for Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha. Leeds have sorted out the lack of cover at centre-back and brought in a top-quality striker.
Nmecha is not expected to start for Leeds, but he will provide cover up top for a new starting striker. The Whites are also expected to bring in a goalkeeper, a left-back, midfielder, a no.10 and a new winger.
The Whites have been linked with a whole host of players and at left-back, Lille and Sweden defender Gabriel Gudmundsson is the most-likely candidate. But Leeds have been offered an England international.
Mauricio Pochettino’s praise of Chelsea outcast Ben Chilwell
Graeme Bailey has told LeedsUnited.News that Leeds have been offered the chance to sign Chelsea’s left-back Ben Chilwell. The £45m England international is back at Chelsea after a Crystal Palace loan.
Chilwell’s career has subsided somewhat since injury and the arrival of Enzo Maresca at Chelsea. His loan at Palace failed to see him start and now back at Chelsea, his future is in doubt at Stamford Bridge.
It is unclear if Leeds are interested, but Chilwell’s agents have offered him to Leeds and a loan deal is able to be struck with Chelsea willing to pay some of his wages. Pochettino lavished praise on him in 2024.
As per The Express in 2024, Pochettino said Chilwell and Reece James are the best in the world, when fit and firing: “Reece is a top player and (Chilwell) also. At their best, they are the best full-backs in the world.
“But for all teams, form is affected when they miss their best players. Why did we not sign another Ben Chilwell and another Reece James? Because there’s only one Reece James and one Ben Chilwell,” he said.
Even half of Ben Chilwell’s wages are too expensive for Leeds
According to some wage reports, former Leicester defender Chilwell earns a whopping £225,000 a week. Even if Chelsea were willing to send him on loan and still pay half his wages, it is too much for Leeds.
Half of Chilwell’s wages would still be considerably above the £100,000 mark, even before any loan fee or future, permanent fee. Chilwell’s injury record and failure to rediscover his best make a signing a risk.
Chilwell’s best attributes are as a set-piece specialist and going forward. But with Leeds set to battle against relegation, Leeds need a defensively solid left-back and that makes Gudmundsson a better bet
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