New West Brom owner must make Brandon Thomas-Asante stance clear: View | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion will look to maintain a promotion push back to the Premier League at the third attempt.

The Baggies have had their fortunes transformed since the arrival of Carlos Corberan back in October 2022, with the Spaniard taking the Black Country from the foot of the second-tier table to play-off contention last campaign.

Albion continue to fight towards the top end of the division this term under the former Huddersfield Town coach, with the West Brom supporters dreaming of top-flight football once again despite concerning off-field issues.

The West Midlands side finds themselves in a precarious financial situation due to a lack of investment from controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai, and the club had to prioritise outgoings this season after taking out a £20 million loan from MSD Holdings, with additional funds secured from the American-based company in November.

One player who could have added to the list this season was forward Brandon Thomas-Asante, and any potential new owners at The Hawthorns should do all they can to keep hold of the 25-year-old.

The former Salford attacker has been tasked with leading the line on a consistent basis after injuries have plagued West Brom’s forward department in recent times.

American international Daryl Dike has had a chronic injury record since arriving to the club in January 2022, with his latest Achilles issue suffered last weekend at Ipswich Town the fourth major injury of his Baggies career.

Summer arrival Josh Maja has also struggled to get any momentum going at The Hawthorns, with an ankle injury sustained at Sunderland in December last year keeping the Nigerian international out for four months.

January recruit Andreas Weimann has been preferred to be deployed out wide by Corberan given the Austrian’s immense versatility in the forward line, while youngster Callum Marshall continues to find his feet in his first senior loan spell away from West Ham.

Thomas-Asante has ended up relishing the challenge of being Albion’s focal point recently, with the forward already having posted his best Championship return and on course for his most productive season since joining the Baggies.

The Ghanaian enjoyed a productive spell in front of goal between December and January, notching five strikes in eight Championship appearances against Sunderland, Stoke City, Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers.

Previous interest in Brandon Thomas-Asante

Thomas-Asante has had speculation in the past about a move away from The Hawthorns, as Albion have considered first-team departures to protect the club financially for the long-term future.

BirminghamLive reported back in the summer transfer window that the Baggies had rejected a £2 million bid from Championship rivals Stoke City for the forward, with his rise in form from last season attracting multiple suitors.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke reported on deadline day of the summer transfer window that Leeds United had also explored a late move for Thomas-Asante, but neither of those negotiations reached an advanced stage at the time.

New West Brom owner must prioritise retaining Brandon Thomas-Asante

Whoever takes over at The Hawthorns will be able to put their stamp on the playing squad during next season’s summer transfer window, depending on the deal going through as expected.

At this moment in time, Dike is out for the remainder of 2024 with an Achilles injury, while Weimann and Marshall are set to return to Bristol City and West Ham respectively when their loans expire at the club.

This in turn would leave Maja and Thomas-Asante as the only forward options available to Corberan heading into the next campaign.

If the Baggies were to lose Thomas-Asante too, that would leave West Brom with a severe lack of firepower the following term, putting immense pressure on the recruitment team to source effective replacements.

This could lead to Albion struggling next season depending on what division they find themselves in and has the potential to get the new owner’s reign in the Black Country off to a negative start.

Thomas-Asante remains a key component in Corberan’s system, with his tenacious work rate and clinical eye for goal two invaluable qualities he’s adding to the side.

The new West Brom owners must not sanction the exit of a player who has such a positive influence on the team, and keeping hold of the starlet should be their first priority if they want to deliver immediate success to the Baggies faithful.