West Brom, Oxford United and QPR join Sunderland AFC in race to sign Chelsea man this January | OneFootball

A trio of Championship clubs are keen on Harvey Vale.

Queens Park Rangers, West Bromwich Albion and Oxford United have joined Sunderland in the race for Harvey Vale.

This is according to Mark McAdam, who links the Chelsea youngster to a potential Championship move this January.

Vale has been at Cobham since 2016, when he joined from Fulham's academy and has featured seven times for the Blues' first team.

Last season, he spent time with League One, Bristol Rovers, and impressed playing as the left wing-back in a back-five system.

However, this hasn’t been enough to earn him a place in Enzo Maresca’s plans, and at 21, he may be better off pursuing a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge.

Heavy Championship interest in Harvey Vale

As detailed above, the Baggies, Oxford and QPR are all keen on securing the services of Vale, whose contract expires this summer.

According to McAdam, it isn't just English clubs keen on the 21-year-old, with sides from the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium also lining up a potential deal. Those currently named are Heerenveen, Hannover and Leuven.

This report follows up on a development earlier in the month by Ben Jacobs, who detailed the Black Cats' interest alongside RSC Anderlecht's.

For any side looking to sort a deal with Chelsea for Vale, they will have been handed a massive boost in the Blues' willingness to waive a transfer fee for the versatile youngster. Instead, Todd Boehly and Co. are only seeking a sell-on clause, making this a financially straightforward deal for those looking to secure his services.

Championship clubs will have to fend off European interest

Despite his meagre amount of senior appearances at 21-years-old, Vale has plenty to offer in terms of his versatility.

Able to feature anywhere behind the front line, he is comfortable on the ball and holds his own when it comes to defending.

For teams chasing promotion like Sunderland or battling to avoid relegation like Oxford, his versatility could prove invaluable, particularly when injuries start to take their toll later in the season.

However, if one of the second-tier quartet wants to make him a January signing, then they will have to see off the interest from abroad. Big clubs like Anderlecht and Heerenveen can often offer Conference League or Europa League football and this can sway a player's head.

The lure of Europe will face off against Championship football then, and with the amount of success from English expatriates, it may be difficult for one of Sunderland, West Brom, QPR or Oxford to win.