Ben Chilwell has ended his Chelsea nightmare under Enzo Maresca by joining Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season.
The 28-year-old hasn’t featured in the Premier League since April 2024, with his only appearance this term coming in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup win over Barrow in September.
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talkSPORT revealed over the weekend how the Eagles had offered the England international a career lifeline before the window slams shut on Monday night.
And now Oliver Glasner’s side have confirmed the transfer, with Chilwell making the switch from west to south London.
It is understood that the Blues will be paying 50 per cent of the left-back’s £200,000-a-week wages during his stay at Selhurst Park.
Chilwell will now compete with fellow Three Lions star Tyrick Mitchell for a spot in Palace‘s staring XI.
On completing the move, Chilwell said: “I’m very excited to be here. Crystal Palace are a club that’s going in a great direction.
“You look at the last few months, with the results and how the team’s playing, and it was a no-brainer to make the decision to come here.”
It remains to be seen who will be Glasner’s first-choice with Mitchell starting in each of the club’s 24 top-flight matches this campaign.
While Palace have made a deadline day signing in Chilwell, they could have lost a key player in centre-back Marc Guehi.
talKSPORT understands that Tottenham had a £70million offer knocked back by Palace, who has 18 months left on his contract.
Guehi was also the subject of multiple failed bids from Newcastle last summer.
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Chelsea have also been linked with a move to bring the 24-year-old back to Stamford Bridge having sold him to Palace for around £18m in 2021.
It would see him reunited with Trevoh Chalobah, who he forged a formidable partnership with in the first half of the season before Chelsea recalled the Cobham graduate.
And former Palace owner Simon Jordan believes Palace’s acquisition of Chilwell could play a role in Chelsea once again securing Guehi’s services.
The talkSPORT co-host said on Monday: “It’s an interesting dynamic.
“People were suggesting that Palace and Chelsea would not have a great relationship after they recalled Chalobah.
“Here you have Chilwell being thrown into the mix.
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“It may lead to a situation where you have Guehi going to Chelsea in the summer because Chelsea are doing Palace a favour.”
Guehi came through Chelsea’s Cobham academy but made just two appearances for the club, none of them in the Premier League.
He enjoyed a loan spell at Championship club Swansea during the 2020/21 season before completing an £18m move to Palace in the summer of 2021.
Fine performances for Palace saw him receive his first senior England call-up in March 2022.
Although he wasn’t selected for the Three Lions squad at the 2022 World Cup, Guehi made the cut for England’s Euro 2024 squad and was commended for his performance throughout the tournament, which saw England lose in the final.
