A defender is set to sign for Burton Albion on loan

Burton Albion have agreed a deal to sign Chelsea defender Dylan Williams on a season-long loan deal, becoming the second Blues’ youngster to sign for the Brewers this summer.

Williams’ arrival would allow him to reunite with Charlie Webster who followed former Chelsea U21s manager Mark Robinson to the League One side, ahead of the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

The defender is set to sign for Burton Albion on loan but the Brewers have the obligation to make the move permanent.

The 20-year-old was ever-present during Chelsea’s Premier League 2 campaign last season, making 20 appearances in total as well as a further three in the EFL Trophy for the Blues U21s.

During that time, Williams contributed to six goals and made the first-team bench during a couple of Chelsea’s cup matches last season.

Williams operated mainly as a left-back last season but can also be deployed as a left-sided centre-back or as a left wing-back if required.

The busy Brewers continue

Following their successful takeover last month, Burton Albion have found themselves to be extremely busy in the transfer window, recruiting several new players as they aim to avoid a repeat of the previous campaign which almost saw them relegated.

Chelsea’s Charlie Webster, Crawley’s Danilo Orsi and Salford’s Elliot Watt are among those who have already signed for the Brewers and it appears as though their business isn’t done yet.

How will this move impact Williams’ development?

Firstly, the opportunity for Williams to be able to reunite with the likes of Webster & Robinson should allow him to settle quicker at his new home.

Similarly, the young defender has previously made eight first-team appearances at Championship side Derby County, meaning he will have familiarity with men’s first-team football and could allow him to feature regularly a lot sooner.

Williams is also likely to enjoy a large exposure to first-team football at the Brewers rather than sticking to youth football, which will allow him to gain more experience and therefore make him a better footballer.