West Bromwich Albion are poised to secure the signature of Chelsea's Alfie Gilchrist this summer. The 21-year-old defender, who has attracted interest from multiple Championship clubs and teams in Saudi Arabia, is eager to embark on a new chapter in his career. Both Chelsea and Gilchrist favour a permanent deal.
West Brom have now agreed an initial £2 million fee with add-ons for the player. The West Midlands club, currently sitting fourth in the Championship after two victories and a draw, are managed by former Tottenham Hotspur player and coach Ryan Mason.
Gilchrist spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Sheffield United, making 32 appearances across all competitions. Despite the club securing a third-place finish in the Championship, they were defeated in the play-off final by Sunderland.
The Englishman made his first-team debut for Chelsea in December 2023, featuring 17 times during the 2023-24 campaign under the guidance of former head coach Mauricio Pochettino. In April 2024, he committed to a new two-year contract set to run until 2026, with the option of extending it for a further year.
Despite being a regular feature for Sheffield United during the first half of last season, an ankle injury sustained at the end of January limited him to just two of the team's final 17 Championship matches, and he did not make an appearance in the play-offs. Chelsea icon John Terry has previously heaped praise on Gilchrist - declaring that the young defender "reminds me of myself".
"Literally from the first training session in which I saw him, he reminded me of myself," he told the Daily Mail in November 2024. "He was keen to learn, asking me questions about defending and constantly picking my brains over what I would do in different situations.
"And he's 100 per cent in everything he does. Whether that's the warm-up to get him going, he's all-in.
"You don't ever want to take that away. Even on his recovery days, he's 100 miles per hour.
"As he gets older, he'll understand how to manage that and how to be. But it's a great trait to have for a young player and it can certainly set you apart.
"If you're at Chelsea, you've got great ability in the first place to be there. But it's really important for younger players to have that mentality and Alfie had that in abundance even from an early age."