Talks begin: West Brom player set for extended Hawthorns exit | OneFootball

The Baggies are in talks with National League side Hartlepool United about extending Reyes Cleary’s loan deal.

West Brom have entered talks with National League outfit Hartlepool United about extending Reyes Cleary’s loan deal at the Prestige Group Stadium, according to the Hartlepool Mail.

The 20-year-old has finally found his feet this season after a dismal first half of the campaign with League Two side Walsall, where the forward made just three appearances for the club and failed to record an attacking contribution.

Unable to impress for the West Midlands outfit, Cleary was loaned out to the fifth tier with Hartlepool, casting severe doubt over his future at The Hawthorns, but the Baggies prodigy has impressed on the left flank, catching the eye with his pace, power and willingness to take on his man.

Despite netting only once from eight appearances, Hartlepool are keen to keep hold of the loanee, revealing they are speaking to West Brom about making his stay at the club a little longer.

West Brom in talks with Hartlepool over Reyes Cleary loan extension

As per a report from the Hartlepool Mail, Hartlepool boss Anthony Limbrick revealed that Hartlepool United have entered talks with West Brom over the possibility of lengthening his loan spell in County Durham, with the youngster proving to be a crucial figure at left-wing and wing-back.

Limbrick said: "We've been speaking to West Brom and the player about that.

"He really likes it here, and we'd love him to stay. That would be a great option for us. I'm sure there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes.

"He's done really well. I thought he found it hard today (Saturday). He's played a lot of games in a small amount of time. We didn't necessarily want to take him off, but he was struggling a little bit with a bit of cold and flu. He wasn't his normal, sharp self and I think that probably showed, it caught up with him a little bit today."

The article also states Cleary remains highly thought of back home in the West Midlands and the club are hopeful he can contribute enough to Hartlepool’s season to warrant offering him a new deal at The Hawthorns.

West Brom are doing all they can to help Reyes Cleary become a success in B71, and it now seemingly looks as if he’s got a stable place to enjoy his football and continue to grow as a player.

The promising frontman has the best possible chance of developing quickly when placed into the right environment, and Albion surely won't want to disrupt this and watch him regress.

Therefore, the Baggies should be willing to let Cleary remain with Hartlepool for the remainder of the season and track his progress, with hopefully enough steps made in the right direction to see him stay in the Black Country for the long-term future.

If the 20-year-old can sharpen up his finishing and become a clinical attacker, then he may have the chance to stake a claim for first-team football at The Hawthorns, depending on which division Albion find themselves playing in next term.