Football
Exclusive: Chelsea’s Kian Best on Championship Loan Radar with Stoke, Derby, West Brom and Coventry Interested
Chelsea's Kian Best is set for a Championship loan move this season. Several clubs, including Stoke City and Derby County, are interested in signing the talented defender, who was released by Preston North End. Despite limited playing time, Best has been called up to the England Under-19 squad and is seen as a player with a lot of potential.
Preston North End v Swansea City - Sky Bet Championship by Dave Howarth - CameraSport | Getty Images
Chelsea are keen to send teenager Kian Best out on loan this season following his arrival on a free transfer, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.
And our sources have learnt that a number of Championship club are keen to give the 19-year-old defender the chance to shine.
Stoke City, Derby County, West Brom and Coventry have all made initial enquiries about the player’s availability for the forthcoming campaign.
The former England Under-19 international was surprisingly released by Preston North End in the summer having come through their academy set-up.
And the Blues wasted no time in snapping up Best on a three-year deal not long after his Deepdale departure, a player they believe has bags of potential.
Best spent 12 years at his hometown club and broke into the Lilywhites’ first team at the start of last season.
However, the versatile left-back played was shipped out on loan to Irish side Bohemians to get regular football last term.
CHANCE TO SHINE
Former Preston boss Ryan Lowe was a big fan of the player and gave him the chance to show his quality as a substitute before he left the club my mutual consent.
But new Lilywhites manager Paul Heckingbottom never gave him a look in, with experienced defender Andrew Hughes his preferred starting left-back, although injuries didn’t help Best with his progress as well.
Best was called up to the England Under-19 squad in the 2023-24 season, but he played just one game for Bohemians in the League of Ireland last season and played just three games for Preston before his departure.
He was one of a string of players released in the summer alongside Emil Riis, Ryan Ledson, Freddie Woodman and Patrick Bauer, as well as fellow youngsters Kian Taylor, Cole McGhee and Tommy Davis.
And he claimed at the time that he first found out about his release on social media via a post on Instagram, a claim the club denied.
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.