Manchester United enter race to sign Chelsea outcast this summer - Reports
Manchester United have reportedly entered the race to sign Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah in the summer transfer window. The Englishman has fallen out of favor, with several Premier League clubs interested in bagging his services.
The 25-year-old came through the academy and has since made 80 senior appearances for the club. However, Chalobah only appeared in 17 appearances for the Blues across all competitions last season due to injury, scoring once.
He was left out of Chelsea's squad for their ongoing pre-season tour of the USA. While reacting to his absence, journalist Pete O’Rourke on the Football Insider's Inside Track podcast claimed that Chalobah will leave the club this summer.
Moreover, the Red Devils are keen on acquiring his services. With senior defender Raphael Varane no longer part of the club and Harry Maguire's best days arguably behind him, United are on the lookout for defensive reinforcements. The club recently announced the signing of Leny Yoro from Lille on a five-year contract. They are also linked with Bayern Munich and Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Chalobah's defensive abilities coupled with his penchant for getting deeper into attack might come in handy for any team interested in bagging his services. According to the report, the Chelsea defender has previously rejected bids from Crystal Palace and Fulham. However, he might finally be leaving Stamford Bridge sooner rather than later.
Chalobah was forced to play as a right-back last season due to the number of injuries in Chelsea's camp
The England U21 international returned from injury in the latter half of the season. The Blues turned their otherwise harrowing season around post-February. In the 13 Premier League games Chalobah featured in last season, the west London outfit only lost one. It was their 0-5 mauling at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Chalobah's standout performance came against a dangerous-looking Tottenham Hotspur side on May 3. He netted the first goal for the Blues in the 24th minute and also helped the team maintain a rare clean sheet as they won 2-0.
Furthermore, with several Chelsea players, including Reece James and Malo Gusto out injured, Chalobah showed his versatility after being deployed as a right-back. He formed a formidable defensive partnership with Thiago Silva, Benoît Badiashile and Marc Cucurella.
Chelsea's consecutive wins against West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, and Bournemouth secured their return to European competition. They were, however, demoted to the UEFA Conference League despite finishing sixth after United's 2-1 FA Cup win against Manchester City.