With all of the talk around Chelsea's disastrous season, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Blues were in a relegation fight and miles off of any silverware when in reality, the opposite is true.
Four wins out of their last five, including three on the bounce in the Premier League, has given Mauricio Pochettino something to smile about, especially as his side are one game away from the League Cup final and through to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.
Moreover, with the January transfer window in full swing, the Argentine has the opportunity to strengthen his side, and the latest player touted for a move to Stamford Bridge is one of the most exciting players in the world in his position, although Ben Chilwell might be less enthused about the supposed interest.
Chelsea look to Germany for their next full-back
According to a report from Spain, Chelsea have identified Bayern Munich's star full-back, Alphonso Davies, as a 'key target' in 2024.
The report has revealed that the Pensioners view the Canadian as someone who can both provide 'solid competition' for Chilwell and potentially even replace him outright as his injury record continues to be a problem for the club.
The Bavarians have set an asking price of €50m – £43m – for the dynamic left-back, but the reports from Spain last year revealed that Real Madrid believe they can sign the 22-year-old for as little as £34m.
While the interest from Los Blancos is far from ideal for the Blues, but the potential for a lower fee is welcomed news, although perhaps not for Chilwell.
How Alphonso Davies compares to Ben Chilwell
Now, Chilwell has been a reliable and effective modern-day left-back for Chelsea when he has been fit and firing, but therein lies one of the most significant problems with the Englishman: his fitness – or lack thereof.
Hamstring
Sept 23 – Jan 24
98
17
Hamstring
May 23 – June 23
28
5
Hamstring
Nov 22 – Jan 23
89
15
Cruciate ligament
Nov 21 – May 22
178
45
Foot
July 20 – Sept 20
77
6
The former Leicester City star signed for the Blues in August 2020 for a not-so-insignificant fee of £50m, but in the three and a half years since, he has made just 93 appearances across all competitions. In contrast, he has missed 84 games for club and country since summer 2021 and has just returned from a minor fitness issue.
While he could now be set to enjoy a long period of uninterrupted fitness and maintain his place in the XI season upon season, it seems far more likely that he is just a few months away from another layoff related to his repeated hamstring issues.
In comparison, Davies has missed 41 games in the same period, and while that still isn't ideal, it is less than half the number missed by Chilwell, and he has not suffered from the same problem more than twice in a row.
So, with the Canadian able to use his availability as an advantage in this comparison, who comes out on top regarding their underlying numbers from last season?
Unfortunately for the former Foxes man, Canada's "future legend", as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, comes out ahead in almost every critical metric.
Non-Penlaty Expected Goals + Assits
0.24
0.23
Non-Penalty Goals
0.04
0.13
Assists
0.18
0.13
Progressive Passes
5.86
2.63
Progressive Carries
5.15
2.76
Shots on Target
0.35
0.26
Passing Accuracy
86.9%
78.0%
Shot-Creating Actions
3.88
2.49
Tackles Won
1.23
1.09
Tackles + Interceptions
3.04
2.50
Successful Take-Ons
3.08
0.51
Ball Recoveries
8.77
4.36
For example, the "unbelievable" gem, as teammate Joshua Kimmich described him, registers more than twice the number of progressive passes, ball recoveries and successful take-ons per 90.
In fact, the only statistic that Chilwell comes out on top in is non-penalty goals per 90, and even then, it is by 0.01, so it's hardly convincing.
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Ultimately, while Chelsea could yet see the best of Chilwell on a regular basis, his consistent injury problems are impossible to ignore, and even without that to consider, Davies looks to be a far better option long-term. So, if there is even the faintest possibility of a transfer, Todd Boehly and Co must act swiftly.
