Birmingham City are set to miss out the signing of former loanee and Chelsea defender Jake Clarke-Slater according to Football Insider.
The 22-year-old is believed to have agreed a deal to move to Ligue 1 French side Brest for the rest of the season with Chelsea boss Frank Lampard happy for him to go and gain more first-team experience.
Nottingham Forest had also been interested in Clarke-Salter but they too now appear to have missed out on the youngster.
A deal for Clarke-Salter to make the move to Brest could be sealed by the end of the week representing a huge blow for both Forest and Birmingham City.
The Ligue 1 club are prepared to hand the defender a major role in their side this coming campaign.
Frank Lampard has been impressed by Clarke-Salter’s performances in pre-season and although he is highly regarded the the Chelsea hierarchy he still finds himself down the pecking order for a centre-back role.
Clarke-Salter has previously spent time on loan at Vitesse Arnhem, Sunderland and Bristol Rovers and also had a spell at Birmingham City on loan last season and impressed during his 23 appearances.
The defender signed a new deal at Stamford Bridge last summer in a deal which expires in 2022 and could have a really bright future at the club once he gains further experience on a regular basis.
He is the captain of the England under-21’s and has already gained experience on the international stage having won 12 caps for the national team.