Mikey Johnston in: West Brom's dream XI for next season ft 3 realistic signings | OneFootball

The 2023/24 season ended with heartbreak for West Bromwich Albion as they bowed out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage to eventual winners Southampton.

Having gone so close last time out, the Baggies will undoubtedly now have their sights set on going one better in the upcoming campaign.

To do so, they may feel they need some reinforcements, especially in attacking areas, with goalscoring the main statistic that separated them from the elite second-tier sides.

With that in mind, FLW take a look at what West Brom's dream starting XI would look like at the beginning of the new season...

GK: Alex Palmer

Nailing down a reliable man between the sticks can be one of the toughest things in football, so the Baggies will be pleased they don't need to worry about that this summer.

Only Championship winners Leicester City and play-off finalists Leeds United conceded fewer goals than the Midlands side last term. Alex Palmer played a huge role: 18 clean sheets, committed no errors leading to goals and saved three of the seven penalties he faced. He will be one of the first names on the teamsheet in August.

RB: Darnell Furlong

Darnell Furlong didn't miss a single Championship game in 2023/24 and was in from the start on 44 of those 46 occasions in the regular season.

Reliability is one of the most important traits in football, but Furlong is also a consistent performer, registering a FotMob average rating of 7.09 across the campaign, the second-best in the squad.

The ideal scenario would see the 28-year-old retake his position next time out, but journalist Alan Nixon revealed via his Patreon that he could be sold this summer to raise funds, with Premier League sides reportedly on alert.

CB: Kyle Bartley

Kyle Bartley was another crucial cog in the Baggies' solid defence last season, so it was of little surprise to see him offered a new deal on expiry of his current terms this summer.

The 33-year-old showed throughout the campaign that he still has a lot to offer this side and his wealth of experience at both this level and the club will be invaluable, as Carlos Corberan's side look to make another go at promotion back to the Premier League.

CB: Cedric Kipre

It has taken some time for Cedric Kipre's West Brom career to truly kick off since his signing from Wigan Athletic in 2020, with loans to Belgian side Charleroi and fellow second-tier side Cardiff City required to get appearances under his belt, but something has finally clicked at the Hawthorns for the 27-year-old.

He was another defensive stalwart, turning out 44 times in the league last season, and his performances have also earned him the offer of a contract extension, as West Brom try and hold together the defensive partnership that chimed so well last term.

LB: Conor Townsend

The old adage: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' is clearly in play for the first portion of this dream starting XI, but it's a well-worn saying for a reason.

Leeds are the only team that will be in the Championship next season that had a better defensive record than West Brom this season. Keeping the same back four together seems sensible, so left-back Conor Townsend, who claimed 42 league appearances last term, retains his place.

CDM: Okay Yokuslu

The defensive unit will rightly take much of the credit for West Brom's impressive defensive record, but the supporting cast just in front of them have been just as important, and the first of those is Okay Yokuslu.

The Turkey international turned out 44 times in the Championship this season and formed an unbreakable midfield partnership with the next man on this list...

CDM: Alex Mowatt

Similarly to Kipre, Alex Mowatt hasn't had the easiest of rides throughout his West Brom career after switching from Barnsley in 2021. He fell out of favour under Steve Bruce, leading to him going out on loan to Middlesbrough for the 2022/23 season, but has become one of the Baggies' most important players under Corberan in the season just gone.

Claiming the squad's highest average FotMob score this season, 7.21, it is clear to see why the 29-year-old has also been offered fresh terms with his deal expiring this month.

RW: Sorba Thomas

If there is little tinkering needed in the defensive areas of the squad, the opposite is probably true of the attacking element. West Brom were comfortably the lowest scorers in the top six last season.

The first player that could be brought in to address that is Huddersfield Town's Sorba Thomas. With four goals and nine assists for the relegated Terriers last term, he may seem at home in the 'good' rather 'great' column of Championship attackers on initial viewing.

However, Thomas created the second-most chances in the second tier last season, behind Ipswich Town's Leif Davis by just two, which suggests he could be a deadly creator with more accomplished attackers around him.

That he might be available for a cut-price £750k, according to Alan Nixon, only serves to increase his appeal.

CAM: Grady Diangana

Grady Diangana proved himself to be a competent creative force last season, recording one of his best seasons at the Hawthorns since he joined in 2020, having been shifted to a more central role rather than his previous natural right-wing position.

The 26-year-old recorded seven goals and eight assists on his new assignment, a figure that the Baggies will hope can improve even further with a revamped attacking structure around him.

LW: Mikey Johnston

West Brom are already well acquainted with what Celtic man Mikey Johnston can do after he lit up the Hawthorns on a short-term loan deal in the latter half of last season.

Joining at the end of January from Celtic Park, where the winger had fallen out of favour, he notched seven goals and an assist in just 18 Championship appearances. A permanent deal for the 25-year-old is sure to be high on Corberan's wish list.

ST: Ryan Hardie

A clear missing link in West Brom's side last season was a reliable goalscorer, with striker Brandon Thomas-Asante the only player to just about reach double figures in the squad.

Ryan Hardie has adjusted well to the second tier with the Pilgrims, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists for a Plymouth Arygle side that only avoided relegation by one point.

With this new-look Baggies creative support around him, the 27-year-old's knack for finding the net could be truly unlocked. He scored 12 goals from an xG of 11.44, showing that more often than not if a chance is presented to him, he'll finish it off.

Those stats suggest he may be worth taking a chance on higher up the division, and he could chime perfectly with an area West Brom need to improve upon.