Credit: Imago, Manh Tung

Josh Edwards

Fri 1 May 2026 15:00, UK

Alfie Maughan looks set to have to wait longer for his chance to stake a claim at West Bromwich Albion.

With survival now achieved, James Morrison can take the handbrake off and experiment with his squad ahead of pre-season.

Part of that may be utilising players in new roles, while another part may be handing minutes to some of the youth stars slowly making their way towards the first team.

Maughan is one of them, having impressed massively for the Under-21s in the Premier League 2 this season.

However, with West Brom keen on signing Danny Imray again this summer, the Baggies may have something else in store for him.

Danny Imray transfer would be a positive for West Brom but negative for Alfie Maughan

First things first, with West Brom keen on Imray, there is plenty of optimism to take from that, given how the full-back has performed.

The Crystal Palace loanee has improved heavily since his debut, and very quickly demented himself as one of the most important players under Morrison.

A permanent deal, or even an extended loan deal, would make sense for all parties, but it could prevent Maughan from having the breakthrough he has been eying.

The teen has excelled in the Premier League 2, and the next step in his development will be to get senior minutes. As things stand, should Imray rejoin the Baggies, he is unlikely to get it here.

Maughan primed for West Brom exit

And certainly not a permanent one.

Maughan has shown exactly what he is about for the Under-21s this season, and with more exposure, he will only get better.

However, for him to get access to regular minutes, Albion may need to sanction a loan move for him this summer.

And those needs will only be amplified if Imray makes the move.