West Brom rage at Harrison Armstrong transfer developments after late approach revealed
West Brom had a busy transfer deadline day as they added two new faces to their squad.
The last-minute loan arrivals of Samuel Iling-Junior and Charlie Taylor took the Baggies’ final tally of summer additions to an impressive nine, as the overhaul of the squad is now complete.
Ryan Mason has been well-backed by the West Brom board, and they look to have made some shrewd acquisitions in the market.
Several areas of concern have been addressed from last season’s squad, but it has now become apparent that the Black Country outfit didn’t get things all their own way on deadline day.
West Brom lost out to Preston over Harrison Armstrong
West Brom worked hard to strengthen their squad in the final hours of the summer window, and they will undoubtedly be pleased with where their group is at.
However, it has now become clear that things could have been even better for the Baggies, had another of their late swoops materialised.
Mason’s side launched a late approach to sign Everton starlet Harrison Armstrong on loan, only to discover that they had been beaten to the deal by Preston, according to Alan Nixon via his Patreon account.
- Armstrong missed just four minutes of Derby’s last 11 league games last term
- He set up both goals in Everton’s recent Carabao Cup win over Mansfield Town
- The midfielder caught the eye for Everton on several occasions in pre-season
Albion were beaten to the punch by their Championship rivals, and are said to be “fuming” after missing out on Armstrong, who is one of the Merseysiders’ brightest young talents.
He spent last term on loan at Derby County, but this time around, it is David Moyes’ former club who have ultimately secured his signature.
Harrison Armstrong would have been a good signing for the Baggies
Mason and West Brom could yet add to their squad with free agents in the coming weeks, as they look to fill any holes that emerge within the group.
The one area that is perhaps still of concern in B71 is the centre of midfield, where there isn’t a great deal of cover for the duo of Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby.
Toby Collyer and Ousmane Diakite are also capable options, but if Mason opts to switch to a three-man midfield at any stage of the season, then it could leave them stretched in terms of depth.
With that in mind, the failure to land Armstrong is certainly a major blow. The youngster was excellent during his brief stint at Derby last term, and played a crucial role in them surviving the drop.
Unfortunately for Albion, they will now be left to watch on as he continues his development, and most likely, looks similarly impressive for Preston.
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