Ryan Mason urged to avoid West Brom transfer mistake "under any circumstances" - It could cost Baggies £10m | OneFootball

West Brom have been advised against selling one particular West Brom player.

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Bromwich Albion are heading into the 2025/26 campaign under new leadership, after Ryan Mason was handed his maiden role as a first-team manager.

The Baggies will be aiming to better the ninth place they achieved last term, with a return to the play-offs and a shot at promotion to the Premier League the ultimate goal.

The Black Country outfit have added Aune Heggebø, George Campbell and Nat Phillips to their ranks this summer, as they prepare for the task ahead of them.

West Bromwich Albion told to avoid Josh Maja sale this summer

As the transfer window continues to roll on, Football League World’s West Bromwich Albion fan pundit, Callum Burgess, has highlighted one player Mason and Co. can’t let go of if they are to achieve their targets next term.

“One West Bromwich Albion player who can't be sold under any circumstances would be Josh Maja,” stated Callum.

“Last season he started off really well; he had 12 goals by January until his campaign was cut short by injury. It wasn’t just his goals that Albion fans were missing; it was his link-up play and ability to connect midfield to the attack.

“Albion were really struggling to fill the hole that was created in Maja’s absence, even after signing Adam Armstrong. He couldn't make much of an impact at all as he was someone who thrived off service, but with Maja in the team, he was facilitating attacks to other players as well as himself.

“I think of the likes of Tom Fellows, who Albion fans also wouldn’t want to lose, which is fair enough. I think with Maja’s case though, he has only one year left on his contract, and I'd rather see him stay for a season and go for nothing at the end of it rather than sell him for £10 million.

“We probably wouldn't even get £10 million for him, and then we’d be unable to replace the quality he brings to the team.”

Josh Maja could fire West Bromwich Albion back into the top six

The fight for the play-offs was incredibly tight last year, with West Brom eventually finishing just four points behind the top six despite missing their main goalscorer for half the campaign.

Maja was a shining light for the Black Country outfit last term, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists in 26 Championship matches before suffering a lower-leg injury in January that kept him sidelined until the end of the season.

It’s not unrealistic to suggest that if the Nigerian centre-forward had remained fit, it would’ve allowed West Brom to sneak into the play-offs, especially considering the fact that they drew 19 of their 46 matches - draws that could've been turned into wins with Maja in the side.

If Mason and Co. can keep him fit next year, the 26-year-old could combine brilliantly with Heggebø to form one of the division’s most threatening attacks, one that could well see the Baggies make a real bid for the top-six once more.