Crystal Palace sealed a deadline day loan move for Chelsea outcast Ben Chilwell and will pay half of his wages.
Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell has joined Premier League rivals Crystal Palace on loan for the rest of the season.
The England international, with 21 caps for his country, was frozen out of Enzo Maresca’s plans at Stamford Bridge at the beginning of the campaign, and has not made a Premier League appearance since April 2024 and was told last August he was not part of Enzo Maresca’s plans.
What Happened
Left-back Chilwell, 28, has only appeared once this season, coming on as a in Blues’ 5-0 Carabao Cup win against Barrow in September. Chelsea boss Maresca has previously said Chilwell, who has a contract until the summer of 2027, is free to leave on a permanent deal.
Chilwell, who was signed for £50 million from Leicester City in 2020, was left out by Enzo Maresca when the Italian took the reins from Mauricio Pochettino in west London, with the former Leicester City manager favouring Marc Cucurella and Renato Veiga – who himself has since been loaned out to Juventus. Even Malo Gusto, a natural right-back, would sometimes cover on the left ahead of Chilwell.
Chilwell has been looking for an exit this winter and has been linked with a number of clubs. However, Crystal Palace have now struck a deal with Chelsea and signed the England international on a six-month loan until the end of the current season.
He becomes Palace’s second signing of the January transfer window, following the arrival of Romain Esse.
Chilwell and Palace Chairman React
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.”
Chairman Steve Parish said: “Ben has experience at the highest level of European and international football. I’m delighted that he has joined us on loan, and we believe he will prove to be a great addition to the squad.”
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