West Bromwich Albion supporters will pray that all the ongoing drama involving a new manager failing to be found doesn’t derail their long-term promotion aspirations, with only two wins picked up now from their last five Championship encounters.
Of course, Chris Brunt should take some credit for the fact only one league defeat has been tasted since he’s taken on the interim reins, but they do at least now have Tony Mowbray through the door.
Unsuccessfully finding a successor for Carlos Corberan will have been hindering West Brom but with Mowbray now appointed, they can go all out in January to acquire new talents.
The main target wanted by West Brom's promotion rivals
The main name that keeps popping up is Tom Cannon, as the likes of Sheffield United and Sunderland situated near the top of the table like the Baggies fight it out for his in-demand signature.
The Stoke City loanee does boast an impressive nine goals next to his name in league action to date, with West Brom reportedly keen on a slice of the Republic of Ireland international themselves back in October before this new interest emerged.
Cannon could be set to leave parent employers Leicester City permanently – if his Stoke stint is cut short – for around the £13m mark, with that proposed amount perhaps going down as a bargain if the 22-year-old was to then fire home some vital goals to help his new employers clinch promotion.
The Baggies have their own version of Cannon situated in the West Midlands already, who had been outscoring the 22-year-old and lighting up the Championship before injury disaster struck once more.
Maja's increasing transfer value
The player in question here is Josh Maja, who West Brom will be certain of keeping at the club no matter what happens this January, despite interest once popping up from the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
The ex-Sunderland man will have felt a sense of pride that both of these London giants were eyeing him up, having been put through the wringer during his first season at the Hawthorns with just one start coming his way in league action owing to injury issues.
Starting his 2025 off on the best possible footing with a brace against Preston North End, the clinical 26-year-old now finds himself on 12 second-tier strikes for the campaign, with only Borja Sainz at Norwich City beating him in terms of goals in the league with a stunning 15 tallied up for the Canaries.
But, in a cruel twist of fate, Maja now looks as if he will be sidelined for the foreseeable with a nasty leg injury requiring surgery.
Regardless, Maja has been outperforming Cannon in many different areas of their respective attacking games – away from merely weighing up their goal totals and transfer values side by side – with his side now feeling vindicated that they persisted with the 26-year-old when he was situated in the treatment room with a previous serious injury.
They will have to exercise this same level of patience owing to his latest setback, however, with the Baggies no doubt having to buy a new striker now too in order to make up for their star-man missing so many games again.
New West Brom boss must sell Albion ace who earns more than Maja
The next West Bromwich Albion manager will have a decision to make about this player’s immediate future.
ByKelan SarsonJan 13, 2025