Exclusive: Don Goodman urges West Brom to make "massive" Josh Maja, Tom Fellows calls | OneFootball

Don Goodman believes that Josh Maja and Tom Fellows will be key for Ryan Mason's attacking output during his first season in charge

Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman believes that Josh Maja and Tom Fellows must stay in the mix at West Bromwich Albion this season if the Baggies are serious about challenging for the play-offs.

Interest in Fellows, especially, was red-hot earlier in the summer window, with Everton said to be interested in reigniting their pursuit of the England U21 star back in June, after failed talks were held back in January between the two clubs.

However, as the summer window has progressed, talks have seemingly quietened, which only serves as a positive for a West Brom side looking to make a return to the top six, following their second ninth-place finish in three seasons in the 2024/25 campaign.

Despite missing 20 league games last season, Maja managed to net 12 goals, whilst Fellows enjoyed a breakout season in terms of his creativity, finishing the campaign with a league-best 14 assists.

West Brom have gone out and bolstered their frontline over the summer with the £4.75 million arrival of Aune Heggebø. Whilst that could open up the possibility of one of Maja or Fellows departing to free up funds, ensuring both of them stay is a big priority for Ryan Mason over the next month.

Don Goodman, who spent four years at West Brom himself, weighed in with his opinion on how important it is for the Baggies to retain the dynamic duo past September 1st's deadline.

Don Goodman believes Tom Fellows and Josh Maja retention would be "a statement of intent" for West Brom

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Sky Sports pundit Don Goodman stated that, given Ryan Mason's relative inexperience as a senior first-team manager, keeping his best players will stand him in good stead to hit the ground running.

"You've got a new, aspiring head coach in Ryan Mason, who's going to need all the help from the recruitment department," Goodman said.

"This not only reflects on getting players in, but also keeping players, and keeping Maja and Fellows would be massive and a clear statement of intent to the fans, more importantly."

Going from Tony Mowbray to Ryan Mason indicates a change of philosophy and direction at The Hawthorns this summer.

Whilst Mowbray has a more than impressive resume, hiring Mason has seen West Brom move from one of the oldest managers in the Championship to now the second-youngest. At 34, only Will Still will be younger than the former Tottenham Hotspur coach in the dugouts this season.

Turning to an exciting, young coach shows intent from the Baggies board, and making sure they keep their exciting, attacking stars further cements their ambition to get back to the Premier League for the first time since the 2020/21 season.

"West Brom need goals," Goodman continued. "They scored 13 fewer last season than they did the season before, and that was one of the reasons that they finished ninth.

"Fellows and Maja will be crucial to West Brom's goalscoring output, I have no doubt, if they can keep hold of them."

West Brom's attack will be dangerous if Josh Maja and Tom Fellows stay at the club

The current attacking crop at West Brom is one of the best in the division, with plenty of seasoned second-tier goal-getters among their ranks.

Daryl Dike looks to start a season fully fit for the first time since the 2022/23 campaign, and Karlan Grant has proven to be a solid frontman in this division in the past.

Then, Maja came off the back of his most efficient scoring season since he netted 15 League One goals in 24 games for Sunderland, which earned him a move to Ligue 1 back in 2019, and Heggebø arrives at the club having scored seven in 13 Norwegian top-flight games for Brann already this season.

There's a plethora of goals in this squad if Mason can keep them all together, and having someone like Fellows to create chances throughout the season will be key for West Brom, as they attempt to climb back to the 70-goal mark they achieved in the 2023/24 play-off season.

The tools are there currently for the new West Brom boss to truly make an impact in his first full season in management, and he'll be hoping that they don't get taken away in the next month.