West Brom sign teen forward from Midlands club, two-year deal agreed
West Brom enjoyed a successful transfer deadline day as they bolstered their ranks in two key areas of concern.
The Baggies have had a strong start to the new Championship campaign, but a few holes had already appeared within their squad following the late sales of Torbjorn Heggem and Tom Fellows.
Samuel Iling-Junior and Charlie Taylor both joined West Brom ahead of the transfer cut-off, with the pair providing valuable options out wide and at left-back, respectively.
Ryan Mason’s squad now looks fairly well-rounded, and the passing of the deadline hasn’t stopped them from getting more business done.
West Brom sign Cole Dexter
Mason will have been pleased by West Brom’s late business, as it capped off what has been a largely promising window on the whole.
The Black Country outfit ended the summer with nine new additions to their squad, and with four of those aged 23 or below, there has clearly been a concerted effort to lower the age of the squad.
Albion have had a strong record of developing young players over the years, and Mason should add to that with his background in academy coaching.
- West Brom’s squad now has an average age of 25.5 this season
- That ranks them as the Championship’s 13th-youngest group
- Their average age has come down from 26.4 compared to last season
The transfer window may now have closed, but that hasn’t stopped the incomings in B71, with West Brom moving to add Cole Dexter to their ranks on Tuesday.
The 16-year-old forward has joined from Midlands side Telford United and has penned a two-year scholarship contract at The Hawthorns.
Shrewsbury-born Dexter has worked his way through the ages with the Bucks, and even represented their U18 side last season.
The Baggies should explore the free agent market
West Brom could face interest in Josh Maja beyond the EFL’s transfer deadline, with the striker understood to be catching the eye of clubs in both Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
As a result, it could be prudent for Albion to explore the possible options that are available through the free agent market at the moment.
The likes of Josh Brownhill and Patrick Bamford have big CVs at Championship level, and are yet to find a club for themselves this season.
The squad is already looking strong as we head into the bulk of the campaign, but a shrewd addition on a free transfer could provide a vital boost to West Brom’s promotion aspirations.
Sign up for the West Brom News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking West Bromwich Albion news sent straight to your phone.