Chilwell emerges as target for European giants after being frozen out at Chelsea

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell is reportedly being targeted by a major European club in a potential loan deal as he looks for game time away from Stamford Bridge.

The 27-year-old has been outshone by Blues boss Enzo Maresca since arriving in the summer, having managed just 45 minutes in all competitions this season.

That one half of football came in the third round of the Carabao Cup against Barrow, a match which Chelsea won 5-0, while also being left out of any Premier League matchday squad.

Chilwell was placed in the club's 'bomb squad' this summer after being deemed surplus to requirements by Maresca and his staff but failing to make it out of west London.

Juventus could offer the Blues defender an escape route as they look to add reinforcements at the back after both Juan Cabal and Gleison Bremer were sidelined with serious knee injuries.

According to Tuttosport, the Italian giants are interested in bringing Chilwell on loan to Turin in January, and it is understood they will only need to cover part of his wages.

Money is believed to be tight at Juventus after they made a big splash for both Douglas Luiz and Teun Koopmeiners over the summer.

But with Cabal sidelined for the rest of the season, Thiago Motta needs cover at left back.

Juventus will apparently have to battle it out with Napoli, who are also reportedly monitoring the England international.

Several Premier League clubs are also keeping a close eye on Chilwell's situation in the capital, but he may feel a move abroad is the best option to get his career back on track.

The defender joined Chelsea four years ago and won the Champions League in his first season, but injuries and loss of form caused his career to stagnate.

He failed to make the England squad for Euro 2024 despite a lack of fit left-back options available to Gareth Southgate, with the last of his 21 caps coming back in March.

British stars looking to take the next step have seen Serie A as a more than viable option in recent months.

Scottish duo Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour moved to Napoli from Manchester United and Brighton respectively at the end of the summer window and have made a promising start to their time in Italy.

Juventus are currently locked in a tight battle at the top of Serie A, trailing Antonio Conte's leaders by just two points.

However, the competitive nature of the league means they sit in sixth place, with only one point dividing the top five teams.

The impending transfer would also give Ben Chilwell the chance to play in the Champions League again, which he has not done for a year and a half due to Chelsea's lack of status in the competition.

Fighting to automatically qualify for the knockout rounds of the competition, Juventus are 11th, just three places behind last-place Aston Villa.