Clinton Morrison 'can't believe' West Brom transfer news - but he's wide of the mark

Clinton Morrison has shared his disbelief over West Bromwich Albion's decision to sell Alex Mowatt to Derby County.

West Brom confirmed Mowatt's departure to fellow Championship side Derby on Friday afternoon.

The 31-year-old was one of the most experienced players in the Baggies' ranks and had spent five years on Albion's books.

West Brom opted to cash in on Mowatt due to the midfielder having just a year to run on his contract.

There is confusion as to how much Derby paid West Brom for Mowatt, but it is believed to be in the region of £1.5million.

In the view of former Birmingham City striker Morrison, it is a bad piece of business from West Brom's point of view.

Why Clinton Morrison is expecting another tough season for West Brom

The mood has been good around The Hawthorns heading into the new season, which started with a brilliant 2-1 win at Norwich City.

A number of players have made on since the hugely disappointing campaign endured last time out.

Some exciting signings have been made, meanwhile, in what feels like a new era under James Morrison.

Mowatt's exit is very much part of the freshening-up process, with Albion eager to get one of their highest earners off the books.

Mowatt was an important squad player but was not likely to start regularly under Morrison.

But Morrison - wrongly, Albion fans will insist - believes West Brom should have kept hold of the midfielder.

"When I saw that news I couldn't believe it," he said live on Sky Sports Soccer Special on Saturday prior to the Norwich clash.

"Derby have got him for £1.5m. One of their experienced players, a seasoned pro.

"It's good business for Derby but West Brom continue to sell their important players, so it could be another hard season."

Mowatt's new chapter at Derby is already up and running, with the midfielder playing 35 minutes of his new side's 2-1 loss at Charlton Athletic.

How did Alex Mowatt perform on Derby debut?

Mowatt started among the substitutes at The Valley on Saturday afternoon.

He came on early in the second period with the Rams 1-0 up at that point, replacing Sam Szmodics.

Derby fans were impressed by Mowatt's performance on social media, hailing him as one of the visitors' better performers in the defeat.

WhoScored gave Mowatt a rating of 6.9, which only two Derby players could better on the day.

Morrison may have felt the decision to sell him was wrong, but the majority of Albion fans will disagree.