Exclusive: Chelsea respond to Aston Villa move for Dewsbury-Hall

Chelsea will not entertain offers from Aston Villa for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in January, sources have told Football Insider.

Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that the Blues are not willing to strengthen a top-four rival ahead of the second half of the season.

The 26-year-old has had a slow start to his career at Stamford Bridge, having featured just ten times from a possible 18 so far this season.

Of those ten appearances, only three have come in the Premier League, playing a combined 43 minutes, while he has been left out of the squad entirely for five of the last six league fixtures.

However, he is expected to play more of a role in the packed winter schedule and into the second half of the season as the Blues progress in the Conference League.

Dewsbury-Hall is not the only Chelsea star to miss out on regular football, as Enzo Maresca’s squad is essentially split in two between the Premier League and cup competitions.

However, there have been suggestions that clubs such as Aston Villa could be prepared to swoop in and offer regular first-team football in January.

Chelsea respond to Aston Villa interest in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Chelsea moved quickly to poach the midfielder in the summer when Brighton were set to land the midfielder from Leicester amid their financial struggles.

Their busy summer transfer window led to a heavily inflated squad, with several players left out of the Premier League and European squad registration.

As a result, the likes of Dewsbury-Hall have suffered with reduced playing time which, it is said, could tempt them to look for regular football elsewhere.

However, the higher-ups at Stamford Bridge are happy with the squad and their current situation and will not look to shift any of their talent when the window opens.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, are looking to strengthen their squad to help them qualify for the Champions League again next season.

Dewsbury-Hall had been earmarked as a potential mid-season arrival given his situation at Chelsea, but the Blues are set to block any move.

In other news, Chelsea are set to block an exit for Christopher Nkunku.

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