Aston Villa are reportedly considering a move for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, as Chelsea are set to make him available for sale just four months after his arrival at Stamford Bridge. The English midfielder joined the Blues from Leicester City in a £30 million deal, but he's endured a frustrating start in West London.
Dewsbury-Hall, 26, is growing frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities at Chelsea despite linking up with his former Leicester boss, Enzo Maresca. He's behind Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia on the Blues' midfield pecking order.
Football Insider reports that Villa are one of several clubs keeping tabs on Dewsbury-Hall and could swoop for the versatile midfielder in January. It's said that the West Londoners will want to recoup the £30 million fee they paid in the summer but could sanction a loan deal if he pushes to leave.
Dewsbury-Hall, who has been described as "amazing", played a significant role in helping Leicester win the EFL Championship last season, and many expected him to be a regular under Maresca at Chelsea. He's predominantly been used in the Europa Conference League and has yet to start a Premier League game.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall 2024/25 statistics (All Competitions)
Appearances (Starts)
Goals
Assists
Enzo Maresca on Dewsbury-Hall's adaption at Chelsea
Chelsea midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in action
Dewsbury-Hall was a protagonist for Leicester last season and enjoyed a fine season, registering 12 goals and 15 assists in 49 games across competitions. There was a feeling the Shepshed-born midfielder was closing in on an England call-up before his move to Chelsea, where his game time has diminished.
Maresca gave his thoughts on Dewsbury-Hall's difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge and how he needed to adapt to no longer being a 'main man':
I completely understand how difficult things are at the moment for Kiernan. He was the main player at Leicester under me. Then he joins Chelsea and just becomes one of the players and is not playing from the start, so you struggle a bit at the beginning.
A move to Villa could give Dewsbury-Hall the chance to shine at Premier League level amid his struggles at Chelsea. He could slot into the Villans' midfield alongside Youri Tielemans.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Related
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Praised for Interview After Chelsea 4-2 Gent
The former Leicester City midfielder gushed about how much he loves life at Chelsea, offering a different perspective on the club's situation.
All stats courtesy of Transfermarktas of 07/12/2024.