Chelsea are considering a move for RB Leipzig left-back Matthew Bondswell as an understudy to Ben Chilwell, according to The Mirror.
The Englishman joined Leipzig as a youth product from Nottingham Forest in 2018. He has yet to make a Bundesliga appearance for Leipzig and is currently on loan with FC Dordrecht.
The fact that Leipzig have not yet handed caps to Bondswell at senior level could indicate that he is not in their first-team plans. Though Bondswell does not have much senior experience, he has been capped at various youth age group levels by England from U-15 to U-18.
Bondswell could be a good investment for the future
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Leicester City last summer, Chilwell has made the left-back position his own and been an overwhelming success.
Frank Lampard is still able to call upon Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso, though it looks like the more experienced duo are now surplus to requirements at the club. Both players have also been linked with January moves away from the West London giants.
Lampard looks like he is keen to build his side around young talent and so a move for Bondswell could be a good long-term investment.
As the player is not yet highly experienced and not known to a broader audience, he is unlikely to command a hefty fee. One of Bondswell’s strengths is that he is able to operate as either a centre-back or a left-back. Last season, he also stepped into the Leipzig’s Under-19 team despite his tender age.
It will be interesting to see what the Blues do with Bondswell should they secure his signature. The logical thing to do would be to send him out on loan, ideally to an English club in order to acquire more experience. However, the Blues are unpredictable under Lampard and so it won’t be surprising if he is integrated into the first-team.
