West Brom: 5 Premier League fringe players the club could make a late transfer move for
West Brom: 5 Premier League fringe players the club could make a late transfer move for
BY
ADAM ELLIOTT
PUBLISHED 3 HOURS AGO
With not long left in the transfer window, FLW assess five potential Premier League fringe players West Brom could sign before deadline day.
West Bromwich Albion’s first full season in the Championship under Carlos Corberan is underway.
Having failed to make the play-offs last season in the Championship under Corberan, the Baggies will be keen to improve upon that this term.
This season is the club’s third consecutive season at second tier level and West Brom have been a club with decent resources in recent years, but spending has certainly cut back significantly this summer.
The parachute payments have dried up, and ongoing ownership issues have meant that they’re operating on a tighter budget than usual this season, which has been apparent in the transfer market.
Player sales will be key to how they can operate in the market, with Dara O’Shea’s move to Burnley thought to be easing the financial issues at the club at the time, as well as other departures this summer helping to reduce the wage bill.
That includes the likes of Kean Bryan, Jake Livermore, Tom Rogic, and David Button. All four players were in the first-team last season but have left the club on free transfers while striker Karlan Grant has also departed West Brom in the current window, signing for Cardiff City on a season-long loan deal, and Taylor Gardner-Hickman has join Bristol City on a loan with a permanent option.
The club haven’t made significant changes in terms of incomings, signing Jeremy Sarmiento on a loan deal from Brighton and Hove Albion and former Sunderland striker Josh Maja, who joins the club on a free transfer from French side Bordeaux and has penned a three-year deal at the Hawthorns.
However, there is still time for them to complete deals, and the loan market may be a smart way to complete them late in the window, and there is usually a flurry fo them across the Championship, with Premier League managers making players available who need regular football for the season.
Some fringe players will be possibilities for the Baggies, and with that in mind, here, we take a look at five realistic Premier League signings West Brom could look to make as the transfer window nears a conclusion.
Albion are short at right-back, an issue made worse by the departure of Gardner-Hickman, and Tottenham’s Djed Spence could help them solve it.
He was one of the most exciting players in the division when he helped Nottingham Forest win promotion to the Premier League in 2021/22 but his subsequent move from parent club Middlesbrough to Spurs has not worked out.
The North Londoners spent a fair bit of cash recruiting the 23-year-old but he’s found opportunities hard to come by and Football League World understands that a loan back to the Championship is being considered.
Spurs want it to be the right profile of team and with Corberan in charge, you have to think West Brom would fall under that category.
2
Jonathan Panzo
Nottingham Forest youngster Jonathan Panzo would be an excellent loan addition to bolster West Brom’s central defensive ranks, which is one of the weaker looking areas of the team personnel-wise.
The 22-year-old defender has been the subject of a lot of rumours this summer, after having a move to Rangers fall through, and links lining him up with a move to various second tier clubs since then and West Brom are crying out for defensive reinforcements.
Darren Witcoop confirmed that Stoke City are one of the sides circling earlier this month, and BirminghamLive have reported that Birmingham City are also interested in signing Panzo, but nothing has materialised since.
3
Conor Bradley
The weakest starting position in West Brom’s side is at right-back, with Darnell Furlong, Martin Kelly, and youngster Ethan Ingram. Furlong is the current first-choice but is a player that would be easy to upgrade upon.
Conor Bradley could prove to be perfect upgrade. The right-sided defender is owned by Liverpool, but spent last season on loan at Bolton Wanderers, where he impressed in League One and requires a step up to the second tier to test himself in the next stage of his development.
The Northern Irishman scored seven and assisted six in 53 games for Bolton, and is ready to play at a higher level with the Baggies.
4
Alvaro Fernandez
West Brom only have one specialist left-back at the club at present, in the form of Conor Townsend. Of course, Erik Pieters can be deployed there but has transitioned into more of a central defender in recent years.
Fernandez spent last season on loan with Preston North End and impressed, which could make him a target for Championship clubs again, albeit Townsend is potentially the best player in the Baggies’ back line at present.
The Manchester United youngster is in need of more experience and is unlikely to play much at Old Trafford this season, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia the club’s main left-backs. A loan for Fernandez may be worth exploring for Corberan’s side.
5
Bashir Humphreys
Coming off the back of his first full season in senior-level football, Humphreys played 12 times in the German second-tier with SC Paderborn and has since impressed on the international stage with England.
The defender started four times in his nation’s U20 World Cup campaign, keeping a clean sheet while scoring in a 3-2 win against Uruguay as well. Another defender is desperately needed and Humphreys fits the bill for the Baggies, and he would add some speed to the back line, too.
The 20-year-old has already been linked with a Championship loan move to Coventry City earlier this window, and could be set for a second tier loan. A lack of quality centre-backs presents a fantastic opportunity for the youngster to stake his claim and get another season of regular development minutes under his belt.
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