Milton Keynes-born England international footballer Ben Chilwell has signed for Crystal Palace on loan from Chelsea.

After being deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge, Chilwell has made the move to Selhurst Park on loan for the rest of the campaign. The deal does not include an obligation or option to make the move permanent in the summer.

The 27-year-old moves from West to South London after four and a half years with Chelsea, having won the Champions League in his first season after joining the Blues from Leicester in 2020 and winning most of his 21 England caps while with Chelsea.

He had fallen down the pecking order with Chelsea in recent seasons, however, making just 13 Premier League appearances last season and just one appearance in all competitions so far this season, which came in the Carabao Cup.

Palace have opted to sign Chilwell as an option in defence, having seen Chadi Riad ruled out for the rest of the season and Trevor Chalobah recalled by Chelsea after spending the first half of the season on loan at Selhurst Park.

In a brief statement on the official Crystal Palace website, Chilwell voiced his excitement to get started with Oliver Glasner’s side.

He said, “I’m very excited to be here. Crystal Palace are a club that’s going in a great direction. You look at the last few months, with the results and how the team’s playing, and it was a no-brainer to make the decision to come here.”

Chilwell was not the only player with connections to Milton Keynes on the move at Crystal Palace on January transfer deadline day.

Ghana international Jeffrey Schlupp, who was raised in Milton Keynes and attended schools in the city after moving to England as a child, has been allowed to leave Palace on loan for the rest of the season.

Schlupp, 32, has joined Celtic on loan for the rest of the season, joining a side that lead the Scottish top flight by ten points and who have a Champions League play-off against Bayern Munich later this month.

Capable of playing on the left side, midfield or up front, Schlupp came through at Leicester City, making 24 appearances in the league in their famed 2015/16 Premier League title winning season before joining Palace in 2017.

He had made 247 appearances for the Eagles, scoring 19 times, though it is plausible he has played his last game for the club with his contract due to expire at the end of the current season.