Middlesbrough set sights on Chelsea youngster, previously failed Boro boss thinks he’s ‘superb’

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Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards is keen to bring in a Chelsea defender who was highly rated by former Boro coach Chris Wilder.

Ahead of the 2025/26 Championship season, Middlesbrough have appointed Rob Edwards as Michael Carrick’s successor.

The former Luton Town man is likely to face expectations of getting Boro in the play-offs this season after Carrick’s 10th-placed finish was enough to see him handed the sack from the Riverside Stadium.

As a result, the Middlesbrough board will surely be looking to back Edwards in the summer transfer window, especially after the likes of Ben Doak, Samuel Iling-Junior and Kelechi Iheanacho’s loan deals came to an end.

Middlesbrough are yet to bring in a new face, but they have identified one Chelsea youngster to add extra quality to their defence.

• READ MORE: ‘Big disappointment’ named as transfers for two Middlesbrough players mooted, ‘Boro have to do it’

Middlesbrough identify Chelsea’s Alfie Gilchrist as Rob Edwards’ first signing

As exclusively reported by EFL Analysis almost a month ago, Middlesbrough are keen on Alfie Gilchrist.

Now, as per an update from Lyall Thomas, Middlesbrough have been ‘making inquiries’ over the possibility of signing the defender from Chelsea.

Thomas also suggested that a number of Championship clubs are keen on a deal for Gilchrist, who has just one year remaining on his deal with the Premier League giants.

It is understood that Gilchrist remains a top option for Middlesbrough due to the lack of full-back options at Rob Edwards’ disposal.

The 21-year-old has been handed a taste of Premier League football in his career, notably playing 11 games in the 2023/24 season, bagging one goal in a 6-0 home win against Everton. Last season, Gilchrist notched Championship experience with Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United.

• READ MORE: Middlesbrough player opens up on ‘tough’ start to life under Rob Edwards, shares 24/25 struggles

What Chris Wilder said about Alfie Gilchrist last season

Gilchrist’s spell at play-off finalists Sheffield United was certainly a positive one, with the youngster notching 30 appearances in the Championship.

Starting on 27 occasions, Gilchrist offered defensive stability to Sheffield United’s backline, which helped them notch a brilliant record at home in the 2024/25 Championship season.

Unfortunately, injury issues plagued the back-end of Gilchrist’s season, which severely hampered his game time at the club.

Despite the unfortunate end to his time at the Blades, former Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder was adamantly a huge fan of the Chelsea loanee, having said: “Alfie’s attitude has been absolutely superb, he needed to come out of the team, it was a tough gig for him for maybe 2 or 3 games.

“Young player coming into Championship football, played the majority of games so we knew we were slightly disadvantaged in terms of the loan rules and the 5 available slots so we had to make a decision.

“He took that as I would’ve expected him to take it in terms of the personality and character of him and how he’s been brought up.”