West Bromwich Albion are looking at rival Championship clubs to bolster their squad this summer and have identified a newly-promoted midfielder as a prime target, according to reports.
The Baggies are in need of bolstering their midfield before the transfer window closes due to the recent departure of Nathaniel Chalobah who left the club as a free agent earlier this month and has since joined Sheffield Wednesday.
Additionally, former Sunderland midfielder Yann M’Vila also announced his departure from The Hawthorns, having initially joined the West Midlands side back in January as a free agent. The club decided not to renew his deal following a relatively disappointing six-month stint.
Meanwhile, there has been interest from Turkey in Okay Yokuslu after his nation exited EURO 2024 two weeks ago following a 2-1 defeat to The Netherlands, although Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu revealed last week that fellow second-tier outfit Hull City are keen to sign the defensive-minded player this summer as he reportedly turned down a move to Besiktas.
West Brom have secured the services of Ousmane Diakite from Austrian side Hartberg and the Malian midfielder even made his debut at the weekend in a 2-1 defeat in a pre-season friendly against League One play-off finalists Bolton Wanderers. Nevertheless, Carlos Corberan is looking to add more depth to his squad in this department ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Pete O’Rourke from Football Insider has claimed that West Bromwich Albion are weighing up a move for Oxford United star Cameron Brannagan this summer but face stiff competition for the 28-year-old from Blackburn Rovers.
The Liverpool academy product was an integral part of Des Buckingham’s side last season as the U’s earned promotion to the Championship. Brannagan scored 13 goals and recorded 11 assists in 24 appearances in the third division which has caused his market value to rise to £420,000, as per Transfermarkt. This figure would be higher but the penalty expert has just twelve months remaining on his current deal at the Kassam Stadium.
Writer’s View
13 goals from the middle of the park is an insane record. However, it must be said that 10 of these were from the spot. Nevertheless, taking away penalties, Brannagan still would have registered 14 goal contributions in total which is still an excellent return.
The Englishman has been a vital part of Oxford’s squad, particularly last season, and would be a massive loss for Buckingham, but with twelve months left on his deal, the U’s may fear losing him in a year for free. As a result, they may be open to listening to offers from both West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn this summer.
Deputy Head of Writing