Ex-West Bromwich Albion forward Kevin Phillips believes the loan acquisition of Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah would be a 'fantastic signing' for the Baggies this summer, speaking to West Brom News.

The centre-back, who can also operate as a central midfielder, was strongly linked with a move to The Hawthorns last month and was even set to join the club for free despite the 22-year-old still being under contract at Stamford Bridge.

However, late interest from recently promoted Premier League side Brentford and Ligue 1 club Lorient seemingly put an end to any potential move down to the Championship.

 

 

But after spending pre-season in west London under Blues boss Thomas Tuchel, he started and scored in their opening game against Crystal Palace and even made an appearance in the UEFA Super Cup win against Villarreal, potentially giving him the opportunity he needed to kick on in the top flight.

According to The Guardian though, Chalobah could still be sent out on loan this month after being replaced by Reece James in the starting 11 last weekend for the game against Arsenal.

This may have potentially put Valerien Ismael's side on red alert after seeing key defender Matt Clarke be ruled out of action for around six weeks. Romaine Sawyers also left the club on loan for Stoke City last week, potentially making the 22-year-old the perfect candidate to cover both positions.

Former Baggie Kevin Phillips believes he would be shrewd addition in the West Midlands and in an interview with West Brom News, he said: "He’d be a fantastic signing.

"I’ve read Chelsea are giving him a new contract so he’s clearly very highly thought of.

"If he has to go out on loan, I would imagine there’ll be clubs queuing up to sign him after his goal.

"If West Brom could sign him it would be an amazing coup for them in terms of their push for promotion."

The Verdict:

If they were to get a deal for Trevoh Chalobah over the line, it would be nothing short of the 'amazing coup' Kevin Phillips has described it as.

However, the 48-year-old is also realistic in saying that other sides will be queuing up for his services after a bright start to the season with Chelsea - and interest from Premier League club Brentford may force them out of the race.

But there are two reasons why West Brom fans should still have hope in terms of this potential deal.

Firstly, the Bees signed central midfielder Frank Onyeka last month which may have persuaded them to pull out of the race for the 22-year-old, especially if they were going to utilise him in the middle of the park.

Secondly, the Baggies have the resources to persuade Chelsea to let their academy graduate join them with a loan fee and/or the ability to take on the bulk of his wages after the sale of Matheus Pereira.

Getting this move done won't be easy though, especially with Chalobah still being part of Chelsea's first-team squad, so it could take a lot of work.