West Brom in talks with breakthrough star over new five-year deal
West Brom are in talks with 19-year-old centre-back Nathan Ferguson over a new five-year deal.
The youngster, who came up through the youth ranks at the club – he joined when he was eight – has broken into the first team under Slaven Bilic and that’s got him on the radars of Premier League clubs.
For that reason, the club wants to tie him down on what’s been called by The Telegraph as a “lucrative” new deal and West Brom hope to have his commitment in the next fortnight.
Crystal Palace are said to be after him as a long-term replacement for Aaron Wan-Biassaka, who left for Man United over the summer.
West Brom do not want to lose him and have told Bilic that they will reject any offers in the January transfer window.
That’s imperative if the club wants to win promotion this season, with West Brom top of the league after 11 games.
Ferguson has been a key player for the Baggies this season and his performances have already seen manager Slaven Bilic liken him to West Ham and England star Declan Rice following the recent 2-0 win against QPR.
Ferguson scored the first goal in that match, which was also his first for the senior side.
After the game, Bilic said of Ferguson, “Nathan is talented: he reminds me of Declan Rice. He is only 18 on paper but his head and mind is like he’s 25 or 27. He’s a kid in a positive way in that he is not afraid to play.
“That’s the good thing about being young because he is thinking positively. It’s our job, and his family’s, to keep him humble and then there is no doubt that he has an extremely bright future and great career in front of him.”
Getting him signed on a new five-year deal will be a big boost for the club.
In other West Brom news, Middlesbrough have been dealt with an injury to one of their strikers ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Baggies.