West Brom may regret losing out on Omari Hutchinson as Ipswich switch is agreed
former West Brom target Omari Hutchinson is set to sign for Ipswich Town on loan from Chelsea for the 2023-24 season accoridng to Fabrizio Romano.
The Baggies had agreed a deal to bring the young attacking midfielder to the Hawthorns on a temporary basis in January [Evening Standard] but the agreement fell through and according to Romano, Hutchinson will instead be lining up against Carlos Corberan’s side this season for the Tractor Boys.
While it is unclear whether the Baggies reignited their interest in this transfer window, or whether Ipswich have beaten them to the 19-year-old signature, with news about incomings at the Hawthorns remaining quiet they may regret not securing Hutchinson’s services.
In his 21 Premier League 2 games last season, Hutchinson managed to score seven goals and assist on a further eight occasions, with his academy form so impressive that he was given both his Chelsea and Premier League against eventual Champions, Manchester City.
The 19-year-old spent most of his time when in the Arsenal academy playing in a central attacking midfield position, but since heading to the Blue side of London he has become much more adaptable, playing also in every position in a genuine front three.
His ball-carrying and passing ability has seen him get a habit of breaking through defences from the top of the midfield, something that very few of Corberan’s attacking midfield options really offer at this time.
John Swift has been deployed in front of a holding midfield, but he is much more of a technical passer as opposed to a threatening ball carrier and hasn’t been able to reproduce the form that made him so highly regarded at Reading since his move to the Hawthorns.
In terms of genuine wingers, the Baggies already look light on that front, with Grady Diangana’s future still in question as he recovers from a second surgery in pre-season, leaving only Jed Wallace and Matt Phillips as obvious wide forward options.
In terms of strikers, with Karlan Grant’s loan move to Cardiff City confirmed, only Brandon Thomas-Asante and the injury-prone Daryl Dike. You’d have to think that making a temporary move to bring in Hutchinson as not only an exciting prospect but cover for all these positions would have been a wise call.
Especially when you consider very little has changed between January and now, West Brom have made no genuine additions to their squad and reports suggest the relationship between Chelsea and the Baggies remained positive despite the deal falling through in January.
From Chelsea’s point of view, there is probably a greater guarantee of regular minutes for Hutchinson at the Hawthorns when compared to what may occur at Portman Road where Kieran McKenna and CEO Mark Ashton have assembled a set of front-line options almost twice as large as the one at Corberan’s disposal.
All in all, this feels like one of those deals where all parties involved may look back and wonder if they have made the right call.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies have entered the hunt to sign Aston Villa’s Kortney Hause
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