Ben Chilwell feels 'settled' at Chelsea and signs contract extension until summer of 2027

Chilwell, a £50million signing from Leicester during Frank Lampard's first spell in charge in 2020, has been linked with a number of Premier League rivals after an injury-plagued couple of seasons, but the 26-year-old said he wanted to remain at Chelsea for the long-term.

"I feel very settled at Chelsea and have really enjoyed my time on the pitch here so I'm very pleased the club want me to be part of the project long-term, and am very happy to sign this extension to my contract," the 18-cap England defender said.

"We are working hard for success and I will do my best to bring more smiles to the faces of the fans who have made me feel so welcome."

Chilwell was part of the Chelsea squad that won the Champions League in 2021 but a ruptured cruciate knee ligament ruined his 2021-22 season and he has also missed three months of this campaign - including the World Cup - with a hamstring injury.

Chilwell has made 80 appearances for Chelsea, scoring nine goals.

Chelsea and Newcastle will head a field of six Premier League clubs taking part in a pre-season tournament in the United States.

The pair will be joined by Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton and Fulham in the inaugural Premier League Summer Series, comprising nine matches, to be played in five East Coast cities between Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 30.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "We are delighted to be bringing six clubs to the USA in July for the first-ever Premier League Summer Series tournament.

"Our clubs have incredible supporters in the US, who passionately follow their teams throughout the season.

"We have seen this dedication first hand from the tens of thousands who have attended our Mornings Live fan events and are excited to be building on this by bringing live Premier League action to five cities this summer.

"We are currently enjoying one of the most competitive Premier League seasons of all time at both ends of the table and I am sure we will see some thrilling matches during the tournament."

The tournament will kick off with Chelsea v Brighton at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on July 22, with Fulham facing Brentford before Newcastle and Aston Villa go head to head at the same venue the following day.

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Orlando's Exploria Stadium, Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey and FeExField in Landover, Maryland will also host games.