West Brom told making no new signings would be ‘fantastic’ in January transfer window
With time starting to run out in the winter window, West Brom have yet to welcome any new arrivals.
New head coach Eric Ramsay appears to have the support of Albion fans, but he may have to accept that he won’t be backed in the transfer market this month.
Ramsay has been warned he may not have money to spend to put his stamp on West Brom‘s squad, with Shilen Patel expecting to post further financial losses for the 2024-25 season.
As such, and if Ramsay wasn’t already aware, it looks as though it’s going to take every bit of his coaching ability to drag the Baggies away from danger in the second half of the season.
West Brom have been linked with midfielder Nectarios Triantis and FC Juarez goalkeeper Sebastian Jurado, but it remains to be seen whether funds will be available to accommodate those potential deals.
West Brom urged to ‘save every penny’
Patel backed former head coach Ryan Mason pretty heavily in this season’s summer window, with sizeable fees being spent on the likes of Aune Heggebo, Nat Phillips and Alfie Gilchrist respectively.
Mason’s signings have produced a mixed bag of success, with Heggebo’s eight league goals a solid return, but the Norwegian has struggled for consistency.
Meanwhile, loan deals to bring in the likes of Samuel Iling-Junior and Charlie Taylor haven’t really had the impact desired, whilst Toby Collyer’s move didn’t pan out at all.
George Campbell and Phillips have been good additions, though, but all-in-all, it looks to have been a fairly wasteful summer of spending at The Hawthorns, and now Ramsay may have to pay for that.
However, according to Chris Lepkowski, having to rein in transfer activity this winter in terms of incomings may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Albion.
Writing in response to an X user’s concerns over a lack of players being linked with moves to West Brom, Lepkowski responded: “Good. We need to save every penny for the summer once PSR barriers are gone.
“We don’t need any more outcasts. A transfer-free window would be fantastic, unless we can source some excellent additions (unlikely).”
West Brom have to at least look to Premier League loan market
A transfer-free window doesn’t have to include a loan-free window, and with the team in dire need of some quality added to it, dipping into the Premier League loan market should be a priority.
Heading into their Tuesday night clash with Norwich City, the Baggies sit just four points above the relegation zone, but defeat to the 22nd-placed Canaries would bring them to the brink of the drop zone.
So, putting all the chips on Ramsay and this current crop of players to get them out of trouble would be a huge gamble, but a couple of shrewd loans may make all the difference.
Albion’s midfield is ravaged by injuries at the moment, and as Premier League sides begin to finalise their squads for the second half of the season, some quality players in that department could be made available.
Top-flight clubs are often willing to cover all, if not the vast majority of a player’s wages, to sanction them a useful loan move, so Albion could still make some key signings without needing to spend a penny.