Football League World
·14 December 2024
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·14 December 2024
FLW lists the West Brom players who contracts expire in 2025 and could agree a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club in January.
West Bromwich Albion will be hopeful of maintaining a promotion push back to the Premier League under boss Carlos Corberan.
The Baggies are competing for a fourth straight campaign in the second tier after being edged out of a play-off semi-final over two legs by Southampton last term.
In a bid to give themselves a chance of getting back to the promised land of the top flight, the Black Country outfit recruited 11 new faces into B71 in order to balance the books, with a mix of major incomings and outgoings required to navigate through challenging financial restraints.
With Albion set under an EFL-imposed business plan to avoid breaking Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR), it’s likely that more high-earners will have to depart The Hawthorns in the near future for the club to become more free spending under controlling shareholder Shilen Patel.
With a portion of West Brom players having their contracts due to expire in 2025, Football League World lists the figures who could agree a pre-contract agreement in January to an overseas club.
First up is shot-stopper Cann, who has struggled to stake a claim for regular first-team football between the sticks in the West Midlands.
The 23-year-old linked up with Albion back in 2017 at the age of 16 from Liverpool, tending to be the usual first-choice keeper for the Baggies’ Premier League 2 side.
Cann has enjoyed invaluable loan experience at Worcester City, Yeovil Town, AFC Telford United and most recently National League North Side Leamington, making 19 appearances for the Brakes in 2023.
After playing deputy to West Brom keepers such as Sam Johnstone, David Button and Alex Palmer over the years, Cann may be wondering if his chance will ever come at The Hawthorns, and at the age of 23, a move away to gain regular first-team action will be a tempting thought to pursue.
Next up is Congolese international Diangana, who has struggled to hit the heights of his debut Championship campaign since making a permanent move to the Baggies from West Ham in 2021.
The 26-year-old was a key cog in the Albion side that gained promotion back to the Premier League under Slaven Bilic, recording eight goals and six assists in a terrific loan stint.
However, injury concerns and a lack of consistency has presented an underwhelming few years at the Baggies for Diangana, falling some way short of his debut season success.
With previous interest from Leicester City, Burnley, Leeds United and Saudi Arabia ignored, Albion are now at risk of losing Diangana on a free transfer with his contract running down, and the forward may be tempted to seek a move away to try and rediscover the magic form he has shown earlier in his career.
Attacking midfielder Swift is another senior figure who could depart the club in the immediate future.
Despite being one of the more notable attacking threats in the second tier at Reading, Swift has failed to maintain a consistently high level of performance in the blue and white stripes, and as he enters his thirties, there will be a fear his best days are behind him.
Rotating in and out of the Baggies team, Swift may want to feel more of an important player in another team and opt for a move away from the Black Country.
Arriving to Albion in 2021 on loan from Brighton, Republic of Ireland international Molumby would go on to make his move permanent the following season.
The energetic midfielder has added a bite and doggedness to the Albion midfield during his stay at the club, but multiple injury spells have seen Molumby on the treatment table more often than expected in recent seasons.
Molumby and Albion may wish to part ways if the midfielder cannot prove his fitness.
Rounding off the list is former Rotherham United defender Ajayi, who heads into his sixth season with the Baggies.
Amassing over 150 appearances for the club in all competitions, the Nigerian international has found himself an outcast in recent seasons, and you do feel Albion may want to inject some fresh blood into that position soon, giving Ajayi the choice of pursuing a fresh challenge.