Chelsea hopes that chillwell demands move to lower Leicester's asking price

                           

Frank Lampard is looking for defensive reinforcements and knows left-back has been a problem position this season. The manager is not convinced by Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri, the latter a target for Internazionale and Juventus, and is a big fan of Chilwell, although Chelsea could look elsewhere if the England international proves too expensive.

                                     

Leicester are regarded as tough negotiators and could demand the kind of money they received for Harry Maguire, who joined Manchester United for £80m last summer. Leicester’s position could be weakened by their failure to qualify for the Champions League and Chelsea hope the club will have to soften their stance if Chilwell, who is interested in moving to Stamford Bridge, asks to leave. Brendan Rodgers has said he does not want to keep players who see their futures elsewhere. 

Leicester are understood to be prepared to sell one key player this summer and are set to end speculation over James Maddison’s future by agreeing a new four-year deal worth £110,000 a week with the midfielder.Chelsea have spent big to improve their attack, signing Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and are close to landing Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz. 

They are likely to need to offload players if they complete a £70m deal for Havertz but Lampard is delaying decisions on who he wants to sell until after Chelsea face Arsenal in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The need to improve defensively is not lost on Lampard, whose side conceded 54 goals in the league despite finishing fourth. Chelsea are interested in Rice, who was released from their academy at the age of 14, and it is understood that West Ham could be forced to sell the 21-year-old.