Links have been made throughout the season with Leicester’s Ben Chilwell. Chilwell’s name has been synonymous with any transfer talk relating to Chelsea for months now. However, recently a new name has emerged in Real Madrid owned Sergio Reguilón. Reguilón has been on loan at Sevilla for the 2019/20 season. The Spaniard has impressed in Rojiblanco colours in the campaign.
Chelsea have been on the hunt for a new left-back since the season came to an end. Emerson Palmieri has failed to impress, and Marcos Alonso has proved to be a defensive liability. The Blues leaked 54 goals last season in the league for a multitude of reasons. One of those being a left-back position in need of reinforcing.
Chilwell or Reguilón?
Two Solid Options for Chelsea
Diving into these two players’ statistics, one can easily see why both players are linked with Chelsea. The age profile matches Chelsea’s needs for a young but experienced player. Both Reguilón and Chilwell will be 24 in December.
Both players also played for clubs in a similar position last season. Reguilón’s Sevilla secured Champions League qualification as they finished in fourth place. Chilwell’s Leicester missed out on the Champions League on the final day of the season, finishing in 5th place.
Statistically speaking, Reguilón and Chilwell are also very similar in some aspects, as stated earlier. Both players, in league play, averaged 1.3 key passes per game according to whoscored.com. Furthermore, the two left-backs have a similar successful pressure percentage with 28.5% for Reguilon and 28% for Chilwell, according to FBref.com. However, it’s important to note that Chilwell attempted 73 more pressures than Reguilón, which makes his percentage more impressive.
Fine Margins
Both players can only be separated by fine margins in terms of ability. Defensively, Reguilón managed 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game while Chilwell managed 2.6 (whoscored.com).
Both are also good in the ball progression department. Amazingly, but coincidently, in their respective leagues, they’re both ranked ninth in terms of progressive carry distance. However, Chilwell did a better job of progressing the ball. The Leicester man finished the Premier League with a 6,221 progressive yard distance, 273 yards more than Reguilón’s 5,948 (FBref.com). Even more impressively, Chilwell has done this playing 136 fewer minutes in the league.
Finally, both players are solid on-ball defenders, but how do they rank up against each other? Reguilón in league play was dribbled past 34 times compared to Chilwell’s 40 times (FBref.com). The similarities between these players are crystal clear.
Major Difference
Chelsea are set to have a blistering attack next season after adding Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech to an already free-flowing attack. Defensively, Reguilón and Chilwell are similar. Reguilón is by far the more superior dribbler, however. The Sevilla loanee averaged 1.6 dribbles in the league last season.
This could be the only major difference that separates these two players. Chelsea do not necessarily need a dribbler because of the current squad already at their disposal. Yet, it has to be said, Reguilón could prove to be more versatile than his English counterpart.
Dribbling separates these two players on the pitch, but there is another difference that could play a role in a potential transfer. That difference is the price. Transfermarkt has Reguilón market value at £25 million compared to Chilwell’s £40 million evaluation, though Leicester will likely demand in the region of £60 million.
The difference in transfer value comes down to the fact that this has been more of a breakout season for Reguilón at Sevilla. Comparatively, Chilwell has played consistently for Leicester over the past three seasons. That being said, transfer value aside, the actual price being asked for both players is very different according to reports.
According to Spanish paper AS, Real Madrid could only be asking for £25 million for their homegrown commodity. On the other hand, The Guardian has reported that Chilwell won’t leave Leicester for any less than £65 million.
Verdict: Sergio Reguilón
Chilwell is not £47 million better than Reguilón. If anything, one can argue that Reguilón has had the better season. Chilwell does have the experience in the Premier League, but does that make him worth all of that money? Reguilón is part of a Sevilla side that will be playing in a Europa League final on Friday night. That fact should also count for some valuable experience in high-pressure situations that Chelsea will have to deal with in the Champions League next season.
There is an argument to be made over who is the better player between the two. Reguilón is a great dribbler with a good ability to cross into the box. Chilwell is good at progressing the ball and pressing opponents. Both are very good players, but it becomes an easy decision when discussing the price. Chelsea should go for the cheaper option in Sergio Reguilón.
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