West Brom want to seal Shankland transfer for Ryan Mason after McInnes latest
Ryan Mason is finally in position at West Brom after a long hunt from Shilen Patel.
There is no time to ease into life at The Hawthorns, though, with plenty of work to be done in preparation for next season in the Championship.
The Baggies are seemingly ready to get going, with Lawrence Shankland being eyed up as a potential recruit in the final third.
West Brom want Shankland
While there are multiple areas requiring focus, one area where the Baggies lacked over the past season was in the final third.
Adam Armstrong and Will Lankshear were both brought in on loan in the hope of firing the Baggies into the play-offs, although neither provided anything remarkable during their spells.
| Player | Appearances | Goals |
| Armstrong | 16 | 3 |
| Lankshear | 11 | 0 |
Now, though, The Scottish Sun have reported (3 June) that the Albion are looking at Shankland, who registered 16 goal contributions in the Scottish Premiership this term.
The striker is out of contract at Hearts this summer and available on a free transfer, but his current side are trying to progress talks to agree a new deal.
With Derek McInnes having recently made the move to Tynecastle, he has personally held talks with the 29-year-old over the potential of extending his stay.
The report does, however, state that contingency plans are being put in place, suggesting that they are not overly confident in retaining Shankland’s services.
Albion are said to have made their interest known to the player’s camp, hoping to sell the prospect of joining Mason’s squad.
Southampton have also been credited with interest this summer.
West Brom should look to convince Shankland
West Brom may be in a more stable position these days under Patel, but they know all too well about the dangers of PSR.
Therefore, if the Baggies can secure some free transfers this summer, it would be a massive boost as they look to perform their business effectively.
A striker is key on West Brom’s list of targets too, and with Shankland having proven his abilities, he could be less of a risk than other unknowns.
With the striker out of contract, the Black Country outfit should have a strong chance at convincing him over a move to the Championship.
With Mason now in place, too, it’s an exciting time to join what is going to be a new project at The Hawthorns.