Leeds United make approach to sign Alfie Gilchrist as Chelsea transfer news emerges
Alfie Gilchrist has been the subject of transfer inquiries from Leeds United and two other Championship clubs, according to Ben Jacobs on the London is Blue Podcast.
The Chelsea fan podcast posted a clip on X showing journalist Jacobs the benefits of a loan move away for Gilchrist, stating that Leeds, Preston and Blackburn had all made “initial inquiries” for the defender.
Gilchrist was backed to make a similar progression through the divisions as Levi Colwill, who had successful loan spells at Huddersfield and Brighton before becoming part of the Chelsea first-team.
The Whites may have to wait until after the start of pre-season to seal a deal for the 20-year-old, with the podcasters suggesting new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca may want to assess Gilchrist first [Yorkshire Evening Post, 15 June].
Leeds United could repeat Championship-winning loan transfer
Should the Peacocks complete a loan deal for a highly-rated young centre-back with a clear path to the first team at his parent club, there will be echoes of when that exact strategy last succeeded at Elland Road [Paul Robinson].
Ben White’s arrival on a season-long deal from Brighton in 2019 proved to be a masterstroke by the club, with White playing every single minute for Marcelo Bielsa’s side as they stormed to promotion, and the Championship title by 10 points.
White has since gone from strength to strength at both Brighton and now Arsenal, and having already made 17 appearances for Chelsea – plus scoring in the Premier League – Gilchrist could be an even better move for the Whites to make [Football.London].
Younger than White was in 2019, and with more first-team experience already under his belt, Gilchrist’s talent and ability to play both centre-half and right-back means this is a deal Leeds must look to complete as soon as possible if they’re to steal a march on the rest of the Championship next season.
In other Leeds United news, Graham Smyth has evaluated the Whites’ chances of signing Joe Rodon from Tottenham.
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