Chelsea and Man City set to compete for Leicester City star Ben Chilwell The left-back is in ­demand and is expected to cost at least £60m

Chelsea and Manchester City are set to compete for the signing of Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell.

The 23-year-old has recently ­become England manager Gareth Southgate’s first-choice left-back after his strong performances as an integral part of Brendan Rodgers’ ­successful side this season.

Leicester, who are second in the Premier League table and are in the last four of the Carabao Cup, have no intention of letting Chilwell leave in January, with any sale liable to cause disruption to a phenomenal season so far for the club.

However, the player will be in ­demand in the summer and the Foxes face a battle to prevent his departure.

Chelsea and Manchester City want to sign the defender and he is ­expected to cost at least £60m – or even more if a bidding war erupts between the two super-rich clubs.

Leicester’s negotiating position is strengthened by the fact that Chilwell signed a new contract in October which ties him to the club until 2024.

i has been told that Leicester have a strict policy of allowing only one key player to leave the club each year. It is a strategy that aims to maintain squad cohesion and strength, and one that has clearly borne fruit.

Chilwell, i understands, wants to see if City manager Pep Guardiola ­remains in charge beyond the ­summer before making any decision on his future.

It is unclear if Guardiola intends to remain at City beyond the end of this season, but the Spaniard has recently indicated that he will stay until the end of his current contract, which expires in 2021, and that he is open to the possibility of extending his deal.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, meanwhile, has repeatedly turned to young English players since he took charge at the club in July, a trend Chilwell’s arrival would continue.

Striker Tammy Abraham, defender Fikayo Tomori and attacking midfielder Mason Mount have all earned England call-ups under Lampard and Chilwell fits the profile of player the Chelsea manager wants to bring in.

Lampard’s transfer hopes were boosted by the lifting of Chelsea’s transfer ban by Fifa, meaning they can now sign players in the January transfer window, which opens today.

However, any move for Chilwell will have to wait until the summer at the earliest. “There’ll be no one leaving in January. Categorically,” Rodgers said recently of the prospect of Chilwell being sold this month.

“I’m sure if we speak, they [the owners] will have the same message. It’s very clear – we want to keep this squad together. We want to ensure they stay around beyond January.”