Two clubs keen on taking talented young Chelsea defender on loan - Romano
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist has received two loan offers from Preston North End and Sheffield United.
Alfie Gilchrist has been left out of the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. The versatile academy kid is part of the group of players who are likely to depart either on loan or permanently. The club is planning to send him out on loan amid interest from Championship clubs and newly promoted Serie A side Como, who is managed by our former star Cesc Fabregas.
From his official X account, Fabrizio Romano claims Gilchrist has not travelled to the USA tour with Chelsea as he will decide on his preferred loan destination in the coming days.
“Alfie Gilchrist has received two loan proposals from Preston and Sheffield United,” Romano tweeted.
“He’s leaving Chelsea on loan, not travelling to US pre-season tour as he will decide fav destination in the next days.”
Having joined the club as a 10-year-old kid and come through the youth system at Cobham, Gilchrist made his Premier League debut last season—a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace under Mauricio Pochettino. He went on to make 17 appearances across all competitions for the senior side, including 11 in the Premier League. The 20-year-old scored his first goal for his boyhood club in the 6-0 rout of Everton at Stamford Bridge.
Gilchrist has become a fan favourite due to his passion, aggression and work ethic, and after only breaking into the first-team picture this past season and signing a new contract until 2026, he has attracted interest from English clubs as well as abroad.
Preston and looking to bolster the defensive spine by bringing in a wing-back and central defender, and Gilchrist has been one of the names under consideration. Sheffield United will provide Preston with tough competition, having suffered relegation from the top flight at the end of last season.
The Blades, under Chris Wilder, are aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League. They want a new right-back after selling Jayden Bogle to Leeds United earlier this month. A player like Gilchrist could add a lot of value to Wilder’s squad, owing to his versatility to operate at both centre-back and right-back.
Given the competition for places within the defensive ranks at Stamford Bridge, Gilchrist is unlikely to get opportunities to play regularly under the new Blues boss Enzo Maresca. So, the best idea for the youngster would be to go out on loan and get regular playing time to continue his development.
Now that Preston and Sheffield United have made loan proposals, our club and Gilchrist must make a wise joint decision about which club to join for the upcoming season.
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