West Brom have suffered a blow in their efforts to land Omari Hutchinson this summer, with Ipswich now in talks over a move according to The Athletic.

How many games has Omari Hutchinson played?

The 19-year-old currently plays for Chelsea but has struggled to assert himself on the first-team picture and has therefore been unable to get regular gametime under his belt. He managed to make his debut for the Blues in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign, but that outing lasted for just 23 minutes.

Instead, he's spent the majority of his time either on the bench, out of the squad entirely or playing for their reserve team. It's with the reserves though that he has showcased his ability, bagging seven goals and eight assists last season in just 21 starts. That led to a rate of 0.75 goals or assists per 90 – nearly one or the other per game.

Prior to that, he had done a similarly impressive job with Arsenal's backup team. He bagged six goals and seven assists for them in 17 games and his goal contribution rate per 90 was even more impressive, standing at 0.79 in the 2021/22 season. Despite all these incredible showings for the reserve sides though, he has yet to break into the regular first-team picture with either team and has never been out on loan to an EFL club either.

That could all be about to change though. It was reported that Hutchinson had been left out of the Chelsea pre-season squad in order to bag a short-term deal elsewhere for 2023/24. West Brom are one of the sides who have been linked with the 19-year-old, but they also faced competition for his signature from fellow Championship outfit Ipswich.

Are West Brom signing Omari Hutchinson?

Now, according to a report from The Athletic, the Baggies will be disappointed to hear that it looks as if he could be on his way to the Tractor Boys. It states that the EFL side are already in talks over a potential loan switch for the player and that his future could be decided by the end of this week.

It looks as if he will link-up with them on a full season-long loan deal, with the chance for him to return to Stamford Bridge in January. It will be a blow for West Brom to see him head to a rival and to miss out on the youngster.

Hutchinson has already impressed despite his age and lack of gametime. When he was able to get onto the field for Chelsea – albeit during a friendly match against Aston Villa last year – he did stand out to then-boss Graham Potter. The former Seagulls manager stated that the youngster was "dangerous" and "showed his quality" as a player during the fixture.

It shows that he does have top level talent in his locker when he is able to get onto the field – and regular gametime with Ipswich could get it out of him. If he does thrive with the Tractor Boys, then West Brom fans will no doubt have to watch on with gritted teeth next season.