Man Utd 'Join' Chelsea in Ben Chilwell Hunt - Leicester Name Huge Asking Price

Manchester United are reported to have entered the running for Ben Chilwell this summer, striking a serious blow to Chelsea's hopes of landing the Leicester defender.

Being of a good age and, crucially, English, Chilwell is one of the most coveted players in the Premier League at present. 90min reported in June that Manchester City were interested, though Chelsea have remained the constant factor throughout the long-running saga.

The Foxes' asking price then was believed to be around the £75m mark, but according to The Mirror, the competition for his services has inflated that slightly. They are said to have recently quoted Chelsea £80m, although the Stamford Bridge hierarchy aren't keen to budge on their 'much lower' offer.

This could, allegedly, open the door to United. The Mirror claim that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have entered the running for the England left-back, and are keen to reunite him with former teammate Harry Maguire.

Maguire joined United last summer for a record £80m, and although he has had his critics, he has seriously improved a questionable United defence - captaining them to a third-place Premier League finish and the semi-finals of the Europa League.

There is evidently a feeling Chilwell could offer a similar improvement, but it's unclear how willing United would be to invest heavily in a left-back - a position in which they are fairly well stocked - when other areas of the team are in greater need of improvement.

Jadon Sancho remains the primary target as a deal with Borussia Dortmund edges ever closer, while talk of a new midfielder has cooled somewhat as Paul Pogba seems increasingly likely to stay. Aston Villa's Jack Grealish has been frequently linked with a move to Old Trafford, and there was previously rumours regarding a move for Chilwell's close friend, James Maddison.

That deal is now off the table, with Bruno Fernandes' signing in January significantly strengthening United's hand for in-field creativity.