Krystian Bielik: West Brom have Championship-leading weapon James Morrison must find use for

Krystian Bielik flashed his quality in what was an up and down debut 2025-26 season as a West Bromwich Albion player.

The 28-year-old signed for West Brom last summer from Birmingham City, in a deal that reportedly cost Albion an initial fee of around £1million.

An experienced Championship campaigner, the Polish international looked to be a solid acquisition to the Baggies backline.

However, after making just 19 appearances in all competitions, Bielik's 2-25-26 season was ended after undergoing surgery on his shoulder in mid-March.

As a result, the ex-Arsenal youngster didn't quite enjoy a dream first season at The Hawthorns, and he wasn't able to help his comrades during their relegation run-in battle either.

So, it remains to be seen just how prominently he features in James Morrison's plans moving forward, but there is some strong evidence to suggest he's primed for a more impactful 2026-27 campaign.

Where Krystian Bielik led Championship centre-backs in 2025-26

With Nat Phillips, Chris Mepham and George Campbell all vying for minutes in the heart of West Brom's defence, Bielik could quickly become a forgotten man if he's not careful.

In order to prevent that from happening, he will need to enjoy a big pre-season this summer, and of course, to stay fit next season.

Contracted at The Hawthorns until the summer of 2028, the Pole still has enough time on his side to make a success of his West Brom transfer.

There is one underlying department where Bielik excelled for Albion last season too; one which should have Morrison licking his lips from a tactical opportunity perspective.

As per FotMob, no Championship centre-back bettered Bielik's 58.8 per cent long ball accuracy rate in the second tier last season.

Morrison appears to be flexible in his tactical approach too, having not really shown an overriding preference for possession or direct football since ascending to the West Brom job.

How West Brom can maximise Bielik potential

Clearly then, West Brom have a long-range weapon sitting there in the form of Bielik's long ball ability, but it's one that this current playing squad isn't perhaps ready to utilise effectively.

Albion have a distinct lack of pace in attack, and with Mikey Johnston still recovering from a serious injury, it remains to be seen how sharp he is next season as well.

In Aune Heggebo - and potentially still Josh Maja if he signs a new contract - West Brom have the target man option up top ticked off for Bielik to aim for.

To complement that, Morrison should be looking to add a burner up there as well who can spin off and in-behind defenders, thus giving Bielik the chance to play long passes over the top of oppostion backlines.

The same can be said down the wings too, as again, it feels as though Albion's attack could really do with some more speed down the sides.

If they can add those elements to their forward line, then Bielik could really come alive for West Brom next season, spraying long balls across the pitch and giving the Baggies more avenues to goal.