West Bromwich Albion enter the summer transfer window knowing they need to improve their options at the top end of the pitch ahead of next season.
The Baggies only scored 48 goals in 46 games in the 2025/26 Championship, failing to score in three of their last six games under manager James Morrison.
The club are currently reportedly close to signing Chelsea attacking midfielder Jimmy Jay Morgan, who was on loan from League One side Peterborough United last season, for a fee of £1.3 million.
The talented 20-year-old player, who can play both as an attacking midfielder and as a second striker, scored 12 goals from 9.28xG in the third tier of English football and will now get the chance to test himself in the Championship.
Josh Maja and Karlan Grant’s respective futures are still up in the air, and additional offensive reinforcements are needed as their contracts are set to expire at the end of this month.
West Brom look forward to signing new striker
The club are hoping to sign new contracts to keep both players at the Hawthorns, but nothing is guaranteed until they put pen to paper.
However, Morrison is already considering adding another addition to his squad to follow Morgan, who could come in as an even better option than Maja in the number nine role.
West Bromwich Albion are hoping to sign Falkirk centre-forward Bernie Stewart during the summer transfer window, according to the Express & Star.
According to the newspaper, the Baggies are confident of winning the race to sign Morgan, with the Baggies hoping to bring the Scotland Under-21 international to the Hawthorns rather than signing him.
Stewart has previously been linked with Championship rivals Watford and Scottish giants Celtic, meaning the club would have to beat out competition from several big teams to land the 22-year-old striker.
However, it remains to be seen how long it will take to convince the Scottish Premiership side to part ways with the SFWA Young Player of the Season.
Why Bernie Stewart is better than Josh Maja at West Brom
Even if Maja puts pen to paper on a new contract with the club and commits his future to the Baggies, the striker could end up playing second or third fiddle at the Hawthorns.
Oone Hegebo is the club’s top scorer in the Championship with nine goals and looks to have already surpassed the Nigerian forward, and Stewart’s arrival will create another player between him and the starting XI.
Even if we only count Stewart’s form since the second half of the season after returning from a loan spell at Dunfermline, the Scottish star looks like a much better option than Maya.
25/26 season | Maha (Championship) | Stewart (Prime Minister) |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 40 | 17 |
xG | 5.53 | 7.83 |
the goal | 4 | 8 |
Goals per game | 0.1 | 0.5 |
A big opportunity has arisen | 2 | 2 |
assist | 1 | 2 |
The Falkirk star scored twice as many goals and provided twice as many assists in less than half the appearances of the Baggies striker, who performed poorly against xG.
These statistics do not take into account that the Scotland Under-21 international scored four goals in 11 appearances in the Scottish Championship, during which he was on loan at Dunfermline in the first half of the season.
Stewart excelled in the 2025-26 Championship and Premiership, providing a consistent and clinical threat in front of goal, while Maya performed abysmally at West Brom in England.
These statistics suggest that the Falkirk star will look to improve Morrison’s attack by providing more goals and assists than Maya in the centre-forward position, and hopefully score more points to help the team move up the table.
In addition to being better than Maya in possession, Stewart also won 4.9 duels per game in the Premiership for the Scottish side, winning 56% of ground duels and 44% of aerial duels.
Meanwhile, the West Brom striker won 1.8 duels per match in the Championship, losing 62% of ground duels and 65% of aerial duels. This suggests the Falkirk ace will be more physical as a focal point at the top end of the pitch.
Therefore, signing Stewart this summer could be great business for the club as an immediate upgrade over Maja for the head coach.
West Brom move closer to signing former Southampton star as negotiations progress
The Baggies will be keen to support James Morrison, who finished with a disappointing 25/26.
