Manchester City plan shock £50m move for England international

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola wants to sign Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell in a £50m deal in January, claims The Daily Mirror.

Guardiola claimed he only had 15 players available prior to their 2-1 win over Hoffenheim in Wednesday’s Champions League action with several first-team players out injured.

Benjamin Mendy is currently sidelined with his second serious knee injury since joining City from Monaco in a £52m deal in the summer of 2017.

Guardiola is concerned the wheels could come off City’s season if he continues to lose senior players to injury and is now targeting a new left-back next month.

Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko have been used at left-back over the last two seasons but neither are defenders and now Chilwell is in City’s sights.

Liverpool were heavily linked with the 21-year-old before they signed Andrew Robertson the same summer City signed Mendy.

Chilwell only signed a new long-term Leicester deal in October but he has still emerged as a January transfer target for the Premier League champions.

The Leicester starlet has emerged as one of the best young defenders in the Premier League this season.

He has played in the most minutes of all Leicester outfielders in the league this season, while only four team-mates have a higher WhoScored rating (6.94).