The last 48 hours have been extremely manic for West Bromwich Albion and Ryan Mason as numerous players look set to both leave and arrive at the Hawthorns.
One area that currently looks considerably weakened is the Baggies’ defence. Darnell Furlong has joined Ipswich Town, whilst Caleb Taylor is also linked with a move away from the Hawthorns. However, West Brom have reportedly signed a player who could fill these gaps in the squad.
West Bromwich Albion Agree Deal For Chelsea’s Alfie Gilchrist
As per Ben Jacobs, Ryan Mason’s side have agreed a deal to sign Alfie Gilchrist from Chelsea for a fee of £2 million plus add-ons. The 21-year-old is set to have his medical in the Midlands imminently.
The defender has been at Chelsea since the age of 11 and is a boyhood Blues fan. He was nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award in the 2022/23 season. Following this, he broke into the first-team squad under Mauricio Pochettino during the following campaign.
He played 17 games for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring the first goal of his senior career in the Premier League in a six-nil win against Everton.
Pochettino left Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2024, and new manager Enzo Maresca seemingly did not rate Gilchrist as highly as his predecessor, as the 21-year-old was sent out on loan to Sheffield United for the 2024/25 season.
The first half of the season went well for the Englishman. He started regularly for the Blades as they fought at the top end of the Championship.
But his season was effectively curtailed in January. Chris Wilder’s side signed too many players on loan, meaning that, on any given matchday, one of the loanees had to be left out of the squad. This player was normally Gilchrist, as he started just once after the start of February.
Despite barely playing in the second half of the campaign, Gilchrist blocked more shots than 96.9% of Championship right-backs. He also got dribbled past just o.34 times per 90, less than 89.5% of his peers.
Is This A Good Deal For The Player And The Clubs Involved?
From Chelsea’s perspective, selling Gilchrist for £2 million seems slightly low given the promise he showed two seasons ago. However, there is no knowledge of any sell-on clauses or buyback fees that may be involved in the deal. These could prove lucrative in the long run.
The move is much-needed from Gilchrist’s perspective. He cannot afford to spend a season in Chelsea’s reserves at this stage of his career, and West Brom are a competitive side who will be challenging for promotion from the Championship.
As for West Brom, this looks like an excellent deal. Furlong was an excellent performer for a long period at the Hawthorns, but getting £4 million for him and replacing him with a player who costs half as much and has significantly more potential should only be seen as a positive. It may take time for the Baggies’ new-look defence to gel, but fans need to trust the long-term project that Ryan Mason is building.