Manchester City may have to break the world transfer record for a defender to stand any chance of prising England left back Ben Chilwell away from Leicester City this summer.

Chilwell is a prime target for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who is searching for a new left back after growing frustrated by Benjamin Mendy’s injury woes as part of a potentially huge summer splurge on up to four new players.

But new Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers considers Chilwell as integral to his plans and, with the 22-year-old contracted until June 2024 and the wealthy Midlands club under no pressure to sell, Manchester City face a serious fight to sign the player.

It means it is likely to take a fee in excess of the £75 million that Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk last year - a world record for a defender - to persuade Leicester to come to the negotiating table.

Leicester City have proven themselves to be tough negotiators, as Manchester City discovered in their protracted pursuit of Algeria playmaker, Riyad Mahrez, who eventually cost the Premier League champions a club record £60m last summer, six months after first being refused a move to the Etihad Stadium.