Boehly holds internal talks to sign Man United player who supports Chelsea

Chelsea have been particularly hard hit by injuries in the left-back position this season, with Ben Chilwell finally making his return as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Fulham at the weekend after a lengthy period on the sidelines. Chilwell hadn’t featured in the Premier League since late September, and Mauricio Pochettino will hope that he can now put together a sustained run of matches.

But even then, he’ll be without another of his options in Marc Cucurella, who’s facing multiple months out with an ankle injury he sustained in December. Ian Maatsen, meanwhile, has been sent to Borussia Dortmund on loan even amid a shortage of specialists.

Pochettino has often had to rely on makeshift solutions, with centre-back Levi Colwill playing 16 games at left-back (and only nine in his favoured role), and right-back Malo Gusto filling in there for the recent FA Cup success against Preston North End.

In the circumstances, then, it’s not especially surprising that Chelsea and Todd Boehly are on the hunt for another body in that position during this month’s transfer window, with one intriguing target emerging.

Shaw a candidate for Chelsea

According to journalist Simon Phillips, relayed by The Daily Express, Chelsea have shortlisted Manchester United defender Luke Shaw and held internal discussions at Stamford Bridge about making a move for him in January. Pochettino wants Premier League-proven players, which is why senior officials have identified Shaw as one of five possible targets.

United are under pressure to comply with Financial Fair Play rules, potentially making them more amenable to sale, but it should be noted that they no longer have Sergio Reguilon available after cancelling his loan, while Tyrell Malacia has been unable to feature all season.

Shaw offers huge experience but injuries a concern again

It’s definitely sensible for Chelsea to start targeting more known quantities. They’ve spent in excess of €1bn since Boehly’s takeover, but they only finished 12th last season and are on course for another mid-table finish this year, with Saturday’s victory only moving them up to ninth.

Only six of the players recruited by Boehly so far have been based in the Premier League and, from that group, only three were over the age of 21 when they arrived. Shaw, by contrast, is vastly experienced in the English top flight – he’s closing in on 250 games – and has performed to a high level for a decade now, making the PFA Team of the Year in 2013/14 and 2020/21.

Even though a move might look from the outside like a sideways step, it may appeal to Shaw, who told his Twitter followers in 2013 that he was a Chelsea supporter and has previously said he idolised former Blues full-back Ashley Cole.

Pundit Dean Ashton thinks Pochettino could be getting an “incredible athlete”, someone who’s “very difficult” to beat in a one-on-one situation. Indeed, the Englishman ranks in the 87th percentile, compared to fellow full-backs in similar leagues over the last year, for percentage of dribblers tackled (63.8).

However, you could question the wisdom of signing him in response to an injury crisis, when he himself has only been able to make 10 appearances this season. Since he joined United, he’s missed a whopping 214 matches, and while 64 of those were down to a broken leg, that still only accounts for 29.9%.