Who is the Chelsea player wanted by Birmingham City, Wolves and Sheffield United? | OneFootball

Harry McGlinchey has emerged as a potential transfer target for two Championship sides

It has emerged that Championship sides Sheffield United and Birmingham City are set to face competition from Blues' West Midlands rivals, Wolverhampton Wanderers, in the race to sign Chelsea's highly-rated Irish defender, Harry McGlinchey.

All three clubs have been extremely active on the lookout for reinforcements in the January transfer window in a bid to successfully achieve their short-term goals for the remainder of their respective campaigns in the Premier League and the Championship.

It has been well-documented that the Old Gold and Black look set to play out their first season at second tier level next term after a largely disastrous six-month period, where they have largely been at the foot of the top flight table under both Vitor Pereira and Rob Edwards.

Meanwhile, it has also been an intriguing season thus far in terms of developments at both Bramall Lane and St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, with both the Blades and Blues expected, by many, to be two sides that could mount sustained bids for at least the Championship play-offs before the season kicked off on August 8th.

At present, it is Chris Davies' side who sit higher in the Championship in 13th, although they are just five points behind the play-off places as things stand, whilst United's hopes of making a late surge for the top six - having lost in last season's play-off final - have taken a significant hit in the past week.

Despite the fact all three clubs have been linked with a handful of players who currently boast experience across various high levels in the game, that is not to suggest that a move for McGlinchey should not be frowned upon.

Indeed, his current West London employers do hold a reputation for being an extremely strong club when it comes to developing and progressing homegrown talents.

As such, Football Insider are reporting that Wolves, Birmingham and Sheffield United could all potentially lure the youngster to a first professional move away from Stamford Bridge, as long as a sufficient sell-on clause is inserted into a transfer deal.

However, it must be said that not many people outside of West London will know much about the prospect. With that in mind, Football League World have profiled what McGlinchey's career has looked like so far, and what sort of player one of these three clubs could end up landing...

Chelsea's Harry McGlinchey in profile amid Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Sheffield United transfer links

McGlinchey is a native of Plymouth, having been born in the Devon city on December 10th, 2007, meaning he has only just turned 18 years of age.

It was his local side, Plymouth Argyle, who first spotted his talent at a young age, before he eventually transferred to Chelsea, linking up with the Kings Road club's academy in the Under-14s age group.

After progressing through the Cobham ranks, the left-back would eventually link up with the Blues' Under-18s squad in the final weeks of the 2023/24 campaign, making his debut in a 5-2 defeat against Arsenal on May 11th 2024, although he would be utilised as a right-back on this particular occasion.

During this period, McGlinchey also caught the eye when featuring for the Republic of Ireland's Under-17s, which included appearances in their UEFA Under-17s European Championship Qualifying campaign, although his nation would not qualify for the eventual tournament.

The youngster then commenced his first full season with Chelsea's Under-18s by featuring in 19 league fixtures, as well as one substitute appearance in Premier League 2 against Reading's Under-21s in January 2025.

December 2024 proved to be a hugely successful month for the Irish youth international as he was named as his country's Under-17 International Player of the Year, as well as signing his first professional contract at Stamford Bridge.

So far this season, McGlinchey has played in five Under-18s Premier League outings and registered a further two assists, and now could be set for his first senior move as Wolves, Blues or Sheffield United look to source a bargain deal for the current Under-19s international.

However, it is clear how very much he is highly-rated, with the Club World Cup champions, now managed by Liam Rosenior, said to be demanding a sell-on clause.

Harry McGlinchey's potential could suit Birmingham City's future ambitions

Although a move to any of the three clubs is an exciting potential prospect for McGlinchey, Birmingham will hope to use their well-known 'project' under Knighthead Capital Management, as well as the influence of Tom Brady, to potentially secure a deal.

Blues currently have attacking duo Jay Stansfield and August Priske currently tied down to contracts until the summer of 2031, and were recently linked with a swoop for Newcastle United youngster, Alfie Harrison.

As such, it shows that Tom Wagner and Chris Davies continue to have one eye on the future, in which they will be playing home matches at the upcoming 62,000-seater Powerhouse stadium.