With James Morrison at the helm, life has certainly become rosier for West Bromwich Albion.
Mutter Eric Ramsey’s name around Hathorn and it will elicit a chilling reaction. But those days are long gone.
Under the former midfielder, Albion picked up points in 10 of 12 games and lost only twice. Admittedly, they haven’t soared to dizzying heights, but if they can enjoy such a run early next season, they could certainly be in the hunt for a playoff spot come May 2027.
Either way, the situation will surely be worse than what fans were forced to endure in 2025/26.
On a positive note, they have sorted out the manager’s situation and the next job is a contract and a new contract.
Current status of West Brom’s transfer activities
The Baggies have about a month to decide on the core of their squad for next season, when their contracts expire at the end of June.
Managers Morrison have already decided not to renew the contracts of Jed Wallace and Darryl Dike, while goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith will also leave the club.
That said, the club is still in talks with strikers Karlan Grant and Josh Maja to renew their contracts with the Hawthorns. At this moment, the two leave.
Considering they totaled just 10 goals last season, perhaps the best port of call would be to let them leave. However, losing three strikers in one period is never ideal as far as recruitment is concerned.
West Brom top scorer in 2025/26 | |
|---|---|
1. Ohne Heggebo | 10 |
2. Isaac Price | 8 |
3. Josh Maja | 6 |
4. George Campbell | 4 |
5. Karlan Grant | 4 |
6. Nat Phillips | 3 |
Regardless of the situation surrounding Grant and Maja, they need to sign a new centre-forward. Former loanee Luis Dobbin has also been mentioned as an option, as has Southampton’s Ben Brereton-Diaz.
Goals have been less frequent for West Brom this season. The Midlands side scored just 48 points, giving them the fourth-worst record in the entire division behind Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford United and Charlton Athletic.
But finding a new centre-forward is not the only priority.
Where West Brom need to strengthen this summer
The whole pitch. Is that a fair answer? Last season was fraught with problems, and while finding reliable goalscorers is paramount, Albion should also look to strengthen their midfield depth.
It’s not like they don’t have any options at that position. Alex Mowat is sure to play a key role again, and he could be joined by Isaac Price or Jason Molumby in the center of the park.
That said, Price was the preferred wide-ranging option towards the end of last season when Mikey Johnston was injured. He is also more of an attacking midfielder than a deep-lying player.
Therefore, it makes sense to increase the team’s ceiling in order to aim for promotion. Fortunately, they are already touted to sign two options who will feature in the Championship throughout the 2025/26 season.
One of them is Svante Ingelsson, who was named Sheffield Wednesday Player of the Year. One of the few bright spots in an Owls side struggling with relegation from League One, he is already attracting a lot of interest.
Wednesday canceled bids from Millwall and Portsmouth in January, but West Brom, Preston North End and Sheffield United are also thought to be interested in the player.
As far as contracts go, this would be a great pickup. One of the biggest plus points is Ingelson’s ability to win duels on a regular basis. In this season’s Championship, he recorded 4.34 wins per 90 minutes, more than any other Albion midfielder. Price finished the season with a 3.51, Molumby with a 4.10 and Mowat with a 3.78.
It’s safe to say that the latter is a better attacking threat than the Sheffield Wednesday star. Both scored one goal, but Mowat finished the season with four assists and Ingelson zero, with 0.68 shots per 90 minutes and Ingelson 0.48.
That’s from a defensive standpoint, and Wednesday Man represents an upgrade. He had 1.13 successful tackles per 90 compared to Mowat’s 1.13 and Molumby’s 0.74.
That said, the Owls star is not the only midfielder linked with a move to the Midlands. Last week it was reported that the Baggies were one of the teams monitoring the situation surrounding Blackburn Rovers’ Sondre Tronstad, who is due to become a free agent in four weeks.
Currently sidelined with a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament, he was described as Rovers’ “best player” by journalist Elliott Jackson late last year, meaning Tronstad is another important signing for Albion.
Whether they sign both is up for debate. After all, their main role is as more defensive players. Either way, if Mowat stays a little further forward and Price continues to play on the wing, we could have a sensational double pivot here.
The Rovers star was actually better than Ingelson when it came to duels, racking up 5.51 wins per 90 minutes and 2.53 tackles per 90 minutes. On the defensive side of the game, Morrison is better than any midfielder currently at his disposal.
Midfield should not be the main focus this summer, but if the likes of Ingelsson and Tronstad are available, West Brom should certainly be involved in contract talks with them.
West Brom beat Derby County and could sign best winger since Barnes
West Bromwich Albion could sign their best winger since Harvey Barnes this summer.
