How many signings will West Brom in the summer transfer window?

Express & Star

Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox discuss West Brom's summer transfer window and give their predictions on the latest episode of the Baggies Broadcast. Albion have already made one move with Nat Phillips arriving from Liverpool. Striker Aune Heggebo is also set to sign from Norwegian side Brann, with a deal expected to be completed in the coming days. Jonny and Lewis discuss comments from Andrew Nestor last week regarding a lower turnover of players to last summer. But they still believe there will be a significant number of arrivals through the door this summer.

Transcript

00:00Yeah, a couple of lines that fans pick up.

00:02One was, which basically asked how many signs could we expect,

00:06and he said there won't be as big a turnover as last year.

00:08And a lot of supporters have jumped on it,

00:10kind of thinking that Albion aren't going to do a lot of business.

00:13And I don't think that's kind of the case.

00:15You know, we spoke about it yesterday after the press conference.

00:17Albion signed 11 players last summer.

00:19It was a big turnover.

00:21You know, a lot of players left the club.

00:23Some have already left.

00:24One has already come in.

00:25We're expecting more.

00:27I think it's still going to be a relatively busy summer,

00:29but I think what he was alluding to is the fact

00:32that there's not going to be 11 new players going through the door this summer,

00:35which doesn't mean that Albion aren't going to do much business.

00:38Just to clarify what a few people have said,

00:40I still think they're going to do.

00:41I wouldn't be surprised if Albion brought in 5-6,

00:44you know, which is kind of a,

00:46for most of us, probably a routine transfer.

00:48Yeah, your average number, yeah.

00:5011 is exceptionally high,

00:52but that happened last year because of the fact that,

00:54you know, Albion sold off,

00:55because they sold Conor Townsend and sold Rannton.

00:57And, you know, players went at the end of their contract.

01:00Yeah.

01:00There was a lot of work to be done.

01:02There's still a lot of work to be done this summer.

01:04And I would say 5-6 is probably a decent number.

01:07So to sort of people worry and thinking,

01:08Albion are going to bring one or two signings in,

01:10I don't think that's kind of going to be the case.

01:12Yeah, no, absolutely.

01:16I mean, I'd written several times earlier this summer

01:19before the press conference that it's going to be evolution

01:21rather than revolution.

01:23You know, that figure when it was, you know,

01:25it was put to me a couple of weeks ago that,

01:27you know, we signed 11 players last summer.

01:29And it kind of took me aback, to be honest, Johnny.

01:31My memory's not the best,

01:33but I was kind of thinking 11, really?

01:35And then you have a look and the late likes of Holgate

01:40came in late, didn't he, on loan with Mikey Johnson.

01:44I think that was right at the end, wasn't it?

01:47And bulked up the numbers towards the end of the window,

01:49like you say.

01:50And plenty of those recruits, you know,

01:53went into August from memory.

01:55Callum Stiles and one or two others, I think, Rakic.

02:00Yeah, and it's a big figure, like you say, Johnny.

02:02And it's not realistic or healthy every year,

02:06clearly every summer.

02:07If it's happening every summer, summer's badly wrong

02:09and you're going to be plummeting down

02:10through the leagues, I think.

02:12It's more common in League One and League Two,

02:15I would say that, when shorter contracts are given out.

02:17But, yeah, look, we've seen one so far, haven't we?

02:20Which is not a busy start, but we've only just entered July.

02:25And as I said on the video yesterday,

02:26after the press are up, I foresee busier weeks ahead,

02:30to be honest, I think in both directions.

02:32And I think we've said this before,

02:35but I think there are players in the squad

02:36that Albion could do with moving on.

02:39I think there are players in the squad

02:40that'd want to move on.

02:41I think there are players in the squad

02:43that could move on,

02:45that they wouldn't so much want to move on.

02:48And that's quite the thing to say.

02:49But I think, look, Albion have clearly got some,

02:53you know, I would say a handful

02:54of quote-unquote duels, really,

02:58who are, you know, the ones that would be of value,

03:00of real value that, you know,

03:02you would also say, I think,

03:03obviously that are first-team starters,

03:07you know, that are star men,

03:08that you wouldn't say they'd want to lose.

03:10However, as Andrew and Esther insisted yesterday,

03:14without parachute money,

03:16the way the model is,

03:19you know, player trading,

03:20you know, you have to be buying and selling sensibly.

03:22And selling sensibly is as important

03:25as buying sensibly, clearly.

03:28And, look, we can use any example

03:30of a star player at Albion.

03:32You know, you want to mention Heggen,

03:33Fellows, you know, Maja, whatever.

03:37People have mentioned Kayla Taylor,

03:38haven't they?

03:39Someone like Johnson, Josh Griffiths,

03:42whatever.

03:42Players are relatively young,

03:44you know, good talent.

03:46I'm not saying that one or more of them

03:49will definitely be solved this summer,

03:51because I don't know that,

03:51but it would not surprise me in the slightest,

03:54were an offer deemed substantial

03:57to do something there.

03:59And then that becomes the next part

04:01of the project, isn't it,

04:02to reinvest it and repeat those successes.

04:06Basically, that's a successful model.

04:08And no one wants any of those players to go,

04:10really, but it's business, isn't it?

04:13And, look, not all of them

04:17had wonderful seasons last season

04:18for several reasons,

04:19but we don't have to go there yet.

04:20So, I agree with you, Johnny.

04:22I mean, we haven't even got into loan territory yet,

04:24have we?

04:25And obviously, you can use five.

04:27And I think you and I both said yesterday

04:28we expected a decent volume of loans.

04:32And this is something maybe for another day,

04:34if not later in the pod,

04:35but the loans have to be better.

04:38And they haven't been good enough of late.

04:40Certainly, when you compare them

04:41to Albion's level before that,

04:43it was almost like the best players

04:44every season with the loans, weren't they?

04:45And that, in a way, can become a problem.

04:48And Alvin have tried to sign them since,

04:51haven't they, and been stung in some places.

04:53But, obviously, you can use the loan market

04:55to your advantage so much.

04:56And I don't think it's happened enough of late,

04:58if I'm honest.

05:00You think of failures in recent seasons.

05:02So, look, there are also clear areas,

05:05and I think both Mason and Nesta said that,

05:07that the squad needs balking in.

05:09You know, they referenced, didn't they,

05:11two attacking players having left

05:13at the end of their deals

05:14in John Swift and Grady D in Ghana.

05:16Positionally-wise, quite similar players.

05:18And they said, look, that's somewhere

05:20where we're having a look.

05:21However, having said that,

05:23they said Isaac Price came in in January.

05:25Tamir Bani came in in January.

05:27They were outlays, significant outlays,

05:30weren't they, in fees.

05:31So, you know, Isaac Price has already made his mark.

05:33Will continue to do so, I think.

05:35He's one of the jewels I should have mentioned

05:37when I was listing those players earlier.

05:40Tamir Bani hasn't made his mark yet,

05:41but much is hoped.

05:43So, there's always that fluidity, isn't there,

05:45of, OK, just because players have left this summer,

05:49the replacements are maybe already

05:51in the building type thing, you know.

05:52But I think, again, we know,

05:54I think we know that the striking department

05:56needs stocking up, doesn't it?

05:57I did a piece this week,

05:59and for me, I've been a light-up full-back.

06:01You know what I mean?

06:02They look all right in the middle of defence now,

06:03don't they?

06:04Obviously, the one signing has been that Phillips,

06:06but beyond the starting full-backs,

06:08where's the depth?

06:08Where's the competition?

06:09There is none.

06:11We've known for years, haven't we,

06:12Darnell Furlong, you know,

06:15if he goes down, what's next?

06:17You know, where's his competition?

06:18Where's the pushing of him?

06:20Then where else do you look?

06:21You look in midfield,

06:22and yes, the numbers are there,

06:23but can they do more there?

06:24I would say probably.

06:26So, there are areas,

06:27and that's obviously what they'll be acting upon

06:29when I think the ballpark figure

06:31of maybe a summer of, you know,

06:34including the loans,

06:35which, you know,

06:35you would expect them to go up to five,

06:37maybe only three or four.

06:38You expect a ballpark figure of five and seven

06:40new faces through the door.

06:42Now, I'm not saying that

06:43with any sort of clear

06:44sort of information given to me.

06:47That's just educated guesswork

06:49from speaking to people,

06:50listening to people yesterday.

06:51And I think that's where the squad is

06:53and probably what it needs to,

06:55you would say,

06:56be in competitive contention for the top six.

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