West Bromwich Albion boss James Morrison is at the moment within the midst of his first ever summer time switch window as a supervisor after touchdown the function on a everlasting foundation.
That is his first everlasting senior posting as a supervisor and that brings with it a complete new problem for him, as he has to construct a squad that’s able to pushing for promotion from the Championship.
The Scottish boss has already moved to usher in Barney Stewart from Falkirk and Jimmy-Jay Morgan from Chelsea on everlasting offers to bolster the assault, however there may be extra work to be finished to create an XI that may purpose for the highest eight subsequent season.
The goalkeeper and defence
Regardless of Max O’Leary penning a brand new contract at The Hawthorns, the Baggies may signal a brand new primary after not too long ago being linked with a transfer to deliver Alex Palmer again from Ipswich City.
After Ipswich’s promotion to the Premier League, it stays to be seen whether or not or not he might be accessible on a everlasting or mortgage switch as a result of he solely began ten matches within the Championship.
Palmer stored 29 clear sheets in 76 matches in his final 18 months within the second tier with the Baggies and will return to be the brand new primary for Morrison.
One addition that might be made to the again 4, in the meantime, is the everlasting signing of Danny Imray, as John Percy reported that the membership want to deliver him again after his five-month mortgage stint.
That would depart Morrison with a backline of Palmer, Imray, Nat Phillips, George Campbell, and Callum Kinds because the first-choice choice for subsequent season.
The midfield
After Ousmane Diakite put pen to paper on a brand new contract with the membership not too long ago, there will not be a lot to vary about how the crew appears in the course of the park.
Diakite, Jayson Molumby, and Alex Mowatt are a stable set of central midfield choices, while Isaac Value and Morgan may compete for the quantity ten function.
Based mostly on their respective performances at league degree within the 2025/26 marketing campaign, the previous Chelsea teenager might even emerge as a greater possibility for Morrison as a starter within the quantity ten function.
|
25/26 season |
Value (Championship) |
Morgan (L1) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
46 |
34 |
|
xG |
9.95 |
9.28 |
|
Objectives |
9 |
12 |
|
Massive possibilities created |
6 |
8 |
|
Assists |
2 |
3 |
|
Profitable dribbles per sport |
0.5 |
0.9 |
That might imply that the supervisor’s first-choice midfield consists of Molumby and Diakite within the pivot with Morgan within the quantity ten function, with additional attacking signings permitting him to transition to a 4-2-3-1 system.
The wingers and strikers
The arrival of Stewart, who scored 18 objectives in all competitions for Dunfermline and Falkirk mixed final season, implies that West Brom have competitors up entrance with him and Aune Heggebo.
Nonetheless, the Baggies want extra competitors within the huge areas as a result of they lack pure width on the proper and the left, past the injured Mikey Johnston.
Motherwell ahead Elijah Simply, who scored three objectives on the World Cup, was not too long ago advised as somebody the membership ought to goal this summer time for a payment of £3m, and he can be a dream addition to the squad on the proper flank.
After producing seven objectives, seven ‘large possibilities’ created, and 7 assists within the Premiership for Motherwell within the 2025/26 marketing campaign, he may lastly exchange Tom Fellows as a left-footed proper winger at The Hawthorns.
On the opposite flank, the Baggies have been linked with a £3m transfer to deliver Reyes Cleary again to the membership from Barnsley, 12 months after they offered him to the League One facet.
| Reyes Cleary vs West Brom attackers | |
|---|---|
| Participant | Objectives & assists (league degree) |
| Reyes Cleary | 20 |
| Aune Heggebo | 13 |
| Isaac Value | 11 |
| Mikey Johnston | 11 |
| George Campbell | 6 |
| Josh Maja | 5 |
| Alex Mowatt | 5 |
The English teenager racked up seven objectives and 13 assists within the third tier final season and will return to the membership to be extra productive than any of Morrison’s present attackers as a left-sided ahead.
After scoring simply 48 occasions in 46 Championship video games, signing two productive wingers in Simply and Cleary may give West Brom the elevate that they want within the ultimate third.
General, Morrison may make 4 extra additions to his finest XI, spending at the very least £6m, with out figuring out how a lot Palmer or Imray may value, to push for promotion subsequent time period.
West Brom’s dream beginning line-up: Palmer; Imray, Phillips, Campbell, Kinds; Diakite, Molumby; Simply, Morgan, Cleary; Stewart (4-2-3-1)
