West Brom will have glaring squad issue if Alex Mowatt exit sanctioned

Alex Mowatt's potential exit out of West Brom may need to be given a second thought.

James Morrison is set to take charge of his first full season as a manager, and after last season's exploits, there is some optimism in B71.

The Baggies will be looking to, at a minimum, steer clear of the relegation battle.

But could they be flying too close to the sun if reports of Mowatt's exit are true?

As we look towards next season, the absence of Mowatt would certainly be felt, and the Baggies squad is not set-up to cope with that experience loss.

And that must certainly be taken into account when deciding on transfer targets.

West Brom squad audit - why age should matter in transfer plans

Mowatt's West Brom exit may be soon amid Derby links, but that would leave the squad in a tough situation.

Currently, as things stand, Morrison's squad only features two players aged 30 or above.

Those come in the form of Mowatt (31) and new arrival Matt Ingram (32).

Experience is key, and last season, the Baggies finished near the bottom of the table while having the 10th-youngest squad in the league as per Transfermarkt.

If the Midlands side want to avoid a repeat of last season's results and standings, adding more experienced names to the squad would be a significant boost.

And last season already taught the B71 side quite the lesson on how important those older players can be.

What did last season teach West Brom about experienced players?

If the Baggies were to understand just how important it can be to have those 30-plus players in the squad, they need to look no further than last year.

While Morrison proved capable in the dying ends of 2025-2026, he is still an inexperienced manager himself and having help from his squad would be ideal.

Hull City who got promoted through the play-offs had six players in their squad at the start of the 2025-2026 season who were 30 or above.

Meanwhile, Ipswich Town's squad featured seven players. Frank Lampard's Coventry City had four.

So, if Morrison's squad heads into next campaign lacking those senior figures, it may prove to be a glaring hole in the manager's plans.

The last campaign has shown that those who go up to the Premier League have more than just one of those players.

And it should certainly play on the Baggies mind as they continue their transfer business.