Returning Alex Mowatt may be missing midfield piece in West Brom’s promotion bid
Alex Mowatt’s return to West Brom may feel like a new signing for Baggies fans as the 28-year-old could make a big impact upon his return.
After a successful loan spell at Middlesbrough last season, Mowatt has proved his worth and could be in contention to play a significant role in Carlos Corberan’s midfield next season as they look to be promoted back to the Premier League after three seasons in the second division.
While the Englishman struggled initially during his spell at Boro, he thrived under manager Michael Carrick and helped the club to a fourth-place finish and a playoff semi-final.
But what can the former Leeds United man bring back to the Hawthorns?
His midfield dominance will be a needed attribute for the Baggies next season, with Mowatt boasting 6.38 progressive passes per 90 (88th percentile) and 85.3% pass completion (76th percentile) [FBRef], which highlights his influence in the midfield.
He offers attacking players the chance to move up the pitch and is accurate enough with his distribution that their runs are worthwhile. This may contribute to West Brom scoring more, which will be needed if they are to get into the playoffs at least after last season’s 59-goal haul proved too little.
Mowatt might relish the chance to work fully under Corberan, with the former Barnsley man expressing his excitement to teammate Conor Townsend about the Spaniard’s involvement with the club.
He has spoken highly of Corberan while also backing himself to make an impact at the Hawthorns next season. He said in the Express & Star: “I’d left [Leeds United] before he got there, but some of my mates played in the under-21s with the gaffer, so I’ve grilled all them as well asking what he was like up there.
“It’s a fresh start for me. A totally different manager, totally different staff, it’s about me trying to impress and working hard, also learning what the gaffer wants and trying to do it on the pitch.”
Baggies fans will hope his “fresh start” will pay dividends for them. Promotion is becoming a dream more and more out of reach for West Brom as they wrestle in an ever-improving league. Can Mowatt be the man to make the dream come true again?
In other West Brom news, a talented Baggies midfielder looks set to move to a Champions League side.