Fresh Middlesbrough FC, Chelsea transfer news could have Blackburn Rovers implication | OneFootball

Middlesbrough may not be looking at a move for Callum Brittain following an approach for Chelsea's Alfie Gilchrist

Middlesbrough are angling for a new right-back addition this summer, as Rob Edwards looks to bolster his squad ahead of a 2025/26 season which demands improvement from the previous two, where Boro failed to make the play-offs.

Anfernee Djiksteel’s departure at the end of his contract means that Luke Ayling is the only recognised right-back in the squad, and with Edwards’ previous managerial set-ups highlighting the importance of wing-backs in his system, making sure a quality full-back is added should be high on his list of priorities.

Therefore, it came as no surprise that Callum Brittain, who was one of the premier passers of the ball from the right-back position last season at Blackburn Rovers, has been the subject of bids from Middlesbrough as well as John Eustace's Derby County during the ongoing transfer window.

However, following a fresh update from Sky Sports, Chelsea youngster Alfie Gilchrist is on Rob Edwards’ radar too.

Having competition for places is a good thing, and both would bolster Boro’s ranks at full-back substantially, but perhaps their interest in the former Sheffield United loanee could spell the end of their pursuit of Brittain, if only one right-back arrival is required this summer.

Middlesbrough's Alfie Gilchrist interest could bring an end to Callum Brittain saga

Callum Brittain has bags of potential and close to 200 appearances in the Championship for the likes of Barnsley and Blackburn, but if Edwards is searching for younger players with a higher ceiling, then Alfie Gilchrist may be his man.

The 21-year-old looked like someone who could be used in the Chelsea squad under Mauricio Pochettino, making Premier League squads on the regular and even starting in big games against London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur during the 2023/24 season.

His loan move to a Sheffield United squad ready to challenge for the Championship title last season seemed like a way to earn more starts and return as someone who could be a big part of the Blues side in the 2025/26 campaign, but his time at the Blades didn’t go as expected.

An ankle injury in February saw him drop out of the side and fail to get back in, despite starting in 26 of the 30 Championship games before the setback. No minutes in Sheffield United’s play-off campaign means another Championship move is on the cards, rather than a return to the Chelsea squad.

If Enzo Maresca is to loan Gilchrist out again in the upcoming campaign, he’ll want him to once again be the first-choice full-back, like how things were at Bramall Lane before his injury, and Boro seem to be among those registering their interest.

So, if it were the Riverside the 21-year-old were to depart to, it would make sense that he would be the marquee signing in that position, perhaps putting an end to the reported interest in Callum Brittain.

Callum Brittain may still be the smart choice for Middlesbrough and Rob Edwards this summer

However, as alluded to earlier, Rob Edwards has been brought in by Middlesbrough to take the club forward following a couple of years of stagnation under Michael Carrick.

So, perhaps bringing in a player who is ready-made and reliable at Championship level is a wiser decision this summer at Middlesbrough. If this is the case, Brittain should be the priority, rather than Alfie Gilchrist.

Additionally, it is known that the 27-year-old Blackburn full-back has been bid for by Boro, and Brittain himself has made it clear he’d like to speak with the Teesside club, per the report from the Lancashire Telegraph, and he ruled himself out of Rovers' pre-season fixture against Accrington Stanley over the weekend.

With Gilchrist likely still being a loan move at this point in his career, getting someone like Brittain in permanently would surely be the more attractive move at present. Even if the 21-year-old Chelsea youngster was available for a fee, the likelihood is that Brittain, who is in the last year of his contract, would cost less than Gilchrist, which again registers positivity in the short term.

And ultimately, short-term success is what Rob Edwards will be judged for whilst at The Riverside. Middlesbrough have played the ‘project game’ under Michael Carrick, and it hasn’t worked. Now they’re even more desperate to return to the Premier League for the first time since the 2016/17 season.

Registering interest in Alfie Gilchrist could spell an end to Middlesbrough’s Callum Brittain pursuit, but perhaps it shouldn’t be a door that they close so soon.