How much Blackburn Rovers, Derby County and Middlesbrough need to pay to sign Chelsea defender | OneFootball

Buying the 21-year-old looks like the only way to obtain his services this summer.

Alfie Gilchrist - a transfer target for many Championship clubs this summer - will only be available to buy for a fee of £5 million.

Gilchrist's loan spell with Sheffield United in the previous campaign, while hampered by injury in the latter stages, impressed many of their second-tier competitors.

The 21-year-old made 30 appearances across the 24/25 campaign for Chris Wilder's Blades, who had one of the best defensive records in the division.

Alfie Gilchrist asking price set for Championship clubs

As the new season approaches, a number of teams are showing interest in Gilchrist. Ben Jacobs has reported that four clubs from the Championship - Blackburn Rovers, Derby County, Middlesbrough and Watford - have all enquired about the defender's services, as have teams from Saudi Arabia.

He is set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer. However, unlike this time a year ago, his exit will only be sanctioned by his parent club if it is a permanent one, and they want £5 million for him. That is according to both The Athletic and Jacobs.

The former outlet has said that teams have enquired about a loan deal with the option to buy the Chelsea youngster at the end of it, as opposed to a mandatory purchase clause, but this wouldn't interest Enzo Marseca's side.

A product of the infamous Cobham academy system, Gilchrist is part of the small percentage of Chelsea's youth team players that have actually gone on to play for the first-team. The 21-year-old made 11 Premier League appearances, including two starts, in the term prior to his loan spell at Bramall Lane.

Championship clubs may need to be patient with Alfie Gilchrist move

He's quite clearly a very capable defender for the Championship, but the price tag that has been placed on him may, for now, rule some possible suitors out of the race.

Blackburn aren't exactly sitting on a treasure trove of cash that they can spend on players. That may be helped if Boro end up pulling off their move for right-back Callum Brittain, which would also open up a spot for Gilchrist in Valerien Ismael's squad, but it remains to be seen whether that will come to fruition.

Derby have not long agreed a near £7.5 million deal for their new striker Patrick Agyemang. Would they be willing to drop another £5 million in order to buy the Chelsea player?

The Blues have generated a lot of funds in recent windows from selling their academy products, which count as pure profit towards their books and therefore gives them bigger leeway to spend money under the Profit and Sustainability Rules.

If the Championship teams interested in Gilchrist are happy to wait until a bit deeper into the window to sign the defender, and Chelsea feel they need to clear some room in their squad, or generate a bit of extra income, they may be able to get him for a slightly cheaper price than the current one.