Bristol Rovers in hot pursuit of West Brom rising star, loan deal on the cards
West Brom weighing up a loan deal for Harry Whitwell has attracted "serious interest" from several EFL clubs, according to West Brom Xtra.
The reliable Albion outlet posted on X (28 January) to report that Cheltenham Town, Northampton and Bristol Rovers have all registered interest in Whitwell, 19, whom the Baggies could may out on loan.
Tony Mowbray and the Albion hierarchy are yet to greenlight a temporary switch for the midfielder, with DOOD also posting on X to report that other clubs from League One and Two could come in for him.
Harry Whitwell can take positives from West Brom exit
With the winter transfer window closing in just six days' time, there's no guarantee that Whitwell will leave The Hawthorns before 3 February, but a loan for the rest of the season could be a shrewd move.
Whitwell's first-team prospects looked promising ahead of the window, but following the acquisition of Isaac Price from Standard Liege, there's plenty of work to do if he's to climb the midfield pecking order.
Dropping down to League One with Bristol Rovers or Northampton, or going a step further down the ladder to Cheltenham, would certainly see Whitwell get more game-time than he has with the Baggies.
Indeed, Whitwell is yet to make a Championship appearance so far this term, having failed to impress in his only start – a shock EFL Cup loss to Fleetwood Town at the start of the campaign.
A potential early exit for Sassuolo loanee Uros Racic could open up a spot on the bench, but for Whitwell to develop further and meet his potential, a switch to the third or fourth tier is surely the wisest move.
In other West Brom news, Albion made an approach to sign a sought-after forward with a past connection to The Hawthorns.