West Brom set to seal £2m deal for Chelsea's Alfie Gilchrist | OneFootball

A number of second tier clubs wanted to bring in the defender this summer.

West Bromwich Albion are set to complete a move for sought-after Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist.

The recent sale of right-back Darnell Furlong left the Baggies with just a few days left in the transfer window to find a replacement for their former first-choice defender. Ipswich Town are reported to have agreed a deal worth up to £4 million for the 29-year-old, who had played every minute of the season so far for Ryan Mason's side.

West Brom have acted quickly, though, and are now closing in on a deal for a Premier League talent who fought for promotion from the Championship last season, for potentially half the money that they got from selling Furlong.

West Brom closing in on Alfie Gilchrist deal

Gilchrist, a 21-year-old product of Chelsea's academy system, is reportedly on the verge of moving to The Hawthorns as part of a permanent deal, according to Ben Jacobs. He spent last season on loan with Sheffield United, who were one of the three main contenders for automatic promotion before they lost out to Sunderland in the play-off final.

It was decided this summer by Chelsea that they would only look to offload the defender, who can play either as a right-back or as a centre-back, on a permanent basis. At the time, it was reported by The Athletic that the London-based side wanted £5 million for him. According to Jacobs, West Brom are set to pay £2 million, plus add-ons.

A medical has been booked for today for the youngster to complete his move to the West Midlands, as per Jacobs.

Two of Albion's Championship rivals, Derby County and Middlesbrough, had been named as two other interested parties. According to Sky Sports, there were also more teams who were keen on Gilchrist.

West Brom can pat themselves on the back for pulling off this Alfie Gilchrist move

The defender was a mainstay of Chris Wilder's side in the earlier stages of last season. As of the end of January, he had played in 28 of the club's 29 league games, but an injury to his ankle that he picked up in training derailed his momentum.

It's a deal that ticks a lot of boxes for the Baggies. Firstly, the need to replace Furlong. Gilchrist has shown that he can perform as a right-back at the elite level of this position.

His age is definitely a plus as he should only continue to develop under Mason, and the price that they have agreed for him is very reasonable given the experience he has built up at this stage of his career, both in the Championship and in the top flight.