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West Bromwich Albion failed to find a regular source of goals throughout the 2022/23 Championship season as their top scorer ended up with seven strikes.

Brandon Thomas-Asante and Daryl Dike both found the back of the net seven times and Carlos Corberan will be hoping that one of them, or new signing Josh Maja, is able to score with greater regularity this term.

Who are West Brom's most expensive signings?

The Baggies have spent a lot of money over the years in an attempt to find a consistent goalscorer and that is evidenced by four of their five most expensive signings in their history being centre-forwards.

Player

Fee paid

Salomon Rondon

£14.6m

Karlan Grant

£14.1m

Nacer Chadli

£13m

Oliver Burke

£13m

Jay Rodriguez

£11.7m

Fees via Transfermarkt.

West Brom have been willing to shell out significant transfer fees in search of a prolific number nine and one of their failures in that respect was Brown Ideye, who arrived at the club in the summer of 2010.

How much did West Brom pay for Ideye?

Alan Irvine, who was the team's manager at the time, swooped to sign the centre-forward from Dynamo Kyiv for a reported fee of £10m in 2014, which made him the most expensive player in the club's history at that point.

The likes of Rodriguez, Grant, and Rondon have since been bought for more than Ideye but there is little doubt that the Baggies had a shocker with that signing as he ended a rough time in England.

Irvine had described the former Dynamo star as a "powerful" and quality marksman and seemingly believed that the £10m addition would be the go-to man for goals at the top end of the pitch.

He arrived at The Hawthorns off the back of an excellent spell in Kyiv as the Nigeria international plundered 42 goals and 11 assists in 103 matches in all competitions. This included 34 goals in 78 Premier League outings as he showcased his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

Ideye had also enjoyed a strong stint with Sochaux in France prior to his move to Ukraine. The £10m-rated forward had scored 15 goals in 35 Ligue 1 appearances during the 2010/11 campaign, which promoted his transfer to Dynamo.

He started his career, however, with Neuchatel Xamax FCS in Switzerland. The attacker scored 30 goals and provided 16 assists in 61 clashes for the club in all competitions after making the breakthrough from academy football.

These statistics show that West Brom were signing a player who had scored goals for several different clubs in multiple countries, including 15 goals in a major European league in France.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why they were confident enough to splash out a club-record fee to secure his signature as they believed that he would do the same in England.

How many goals did Ideye score for West Brom?

However, that was not the case as the Nigerian finisher struggled throughout his time in English football and left the Baggies after scoring seven goals in 31 appearances in all competitions.

Ideye endured a rough debut season in the Premier League as he only scored four goals in 24 matches after his big-money move from Dynamo, which was considerably worse than the 15 he managed in France for Sochaux.

He averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.36 in that time and that was the 22nd-highest score within the squad, out of 26 players – with three of the four players below him failing to start more than one game – and this highlights how disappointing his performances were.

Ideye also ranked fifth and second within the team for how many times he was dispossessed and gave the ball away through poor control respectively per game.

These statistics show that the former Sochaux star struggled to deal with the quality on display at the top level of English football as opposition players found it far too easy to take the ball off him and he did not make up for it with enough goals at the top end of the pitch.

The Nigerian forward later revealed that he felt "overwhelmed" by the expectation that came with being the club's record signing and lambasted the lack of patience people had with him as he attempted to adapt to life in England and the Premier League.

His struggles may also have played a part in Irvine's eventual sacking in December of 2019 as the Scottish tactician's huge summer signing failed to make the desired impact on the pitch.

Tony Pulis came in to replace him in January but was also unable to get Ideye firing to the best of his abilities and that led to the striker's exit in the summer of 2015 as the Welsh boss opted to allow him to leave instead of attempting to give him another season to find his feet.

How much did West Brom sell Ideye for?

The Baggies reportedly cashed in on him for a fee of €6m (£5m) at the end of the 2014/15 campaign as Greek giants Olympiacos came in with an offer to take him away from The Hawthorns after just one year.

This means that the West Brom flop's market value plummeted by a whopping £5m in just 12 months as his poor Premier League form resulted in his price halving from the £10m that the club initially paid Dynamo in 2014.

Therefore, Irvine had a howler with the signing of the Nigeria international, who scored six goals in 27 caps for his country, as the move did not have the desired effect on the pitch, as evidenced by his aforementioned statistics, and it came at a significant financial loss for the club.

Ideye went on to score 28 goals and assisted ten in 65 appearances for Olympiacos, which included 23 goals in 43 Super League outings, as he rediscovered his form in front of goal.

The 34-year-old marksman was most recently with Al-Yarmouk SC in Kuwait and endured a difficult spell in Turkey with Goztepe prior to that move. He scored three times in 36 matches for the Turkish side and two of those came in his 35 league games between the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.

Wolverhampton Wanderers completed the signing of Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle this past transfer deadline day, on a season-long loan with an option to buy for a fee of around £4.3m.

Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola once described Doyle as a “special” player, after he stood out for the Sky Blues in an FA Cup win in February 2021.

The 21-year-old gem comes into a struggling Wolves side who have just three points from the opening four games, leaving them in 15th place heading into the international break.

Doyle is one of eight new arrivals over the summer at Molineux, and fans will be hoping he can fill the void of recent departure Matheus Nunes, who went in the opposite direction joining Manchester City in a £53m move.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, respected journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones has offered an exciting insight into what Wanderers fans can expect from their new man.

What did Dean Jones say about Tommy Doyle?

Jones has stated that Doyle’s potential influence on this Wolves side should not be underestimated.

When asked whether Gary O’Neil should introduce Doyle immediately into the Wolves side after the international break, he replied:

“I think so because Wolves are obviously now producing the results that people feared might be coming their way at the start of the season.”

He continued on Wolves’ start to the season:

“They started okay when they went to Manchester United and put in that performance, so it looked like they might be okay and there had been a few flashes under O'Neil that suggests they could get out of this.

"But they need the new signings to come into the team now and start getting settled. I think Doyle is one I'm particularly excited to see start to show what he is capable of.

"The early joy that Wolves felt from the start of the season is now gone, but somebody like Doyle undoubtedly has the potential to reignite something in that Wolves team."

Where does Doyle fit in at Wolves?

The 21-year-old whiz impressed in the Championship last season on loan at Sheffield United, as they gained promotion back to the Premier League. He played 33 times in all competitions, scoring four goals and assisting seven for his teammates.

For Wolves, Doyle can expect to be one of two more central midfielders, which since the absence of Nunes has included the young Joao Gomes, alongside the more experienced Gabonese midfielder, Mario Lemina.

Upon arrival, sporting director Matt Hobbs waxed lyrical about the City academy gem, stating that he "ticks a lot of boxes" and is "something different" in the engine room, via the club's official website.

It is likely he will be part of Wolves’ squad when the West Midlands side return to action on the 16th of September, where they host in-form title hopefuls Liverpool at Molineux.

O’Neil has already expressed his delight with his new signing stating the addition of his quality will really “affect games at this level,” hinting at Doyle’s readiness to feature in a game of high magnitude.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is making a January move for one of his summer transfer targets that he failed to land, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Aston Villa?

Pundit Paul Merson has criticised Aston Villa's backline in a recent interview with Sportskeeda, stating: "Aston Villa usually beat all the bottom-half teams and get spanked by the others – they are so hard to predict! That said, I think they could be a proper handful this season as we've already seen and I expect them to have a good run in the UEFA Europa Conference League."

He then added: "Unai Emery's high line has proved to be a problem for the Villans so far as they've conceded eight goals against Liverpool and Newcastle United. Their brand of football is exciting to watch, but against the big boys, I don't think it'll work out."

The Villans take on Crystal Palace at home on Saturday and full-back Alex Moreno could return to contention for a starting berth after spending some time on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, as per BBC Sport.

Trio Jacob Ramsey, Bertrand Traore and Tim Iroegbunam are ruled out while the game will also pass by Diego Carlos, who is out with a hamstring problem of his own.

Football Insider claim that Aston Villa have put the groundwork in to bring a 'marquee' striker to Villa Park in the January transfer window following the sales of Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene and Keinan Davis, which have in turn helped their Financial Fair Play obligations.

Emery is said to be keen to bring 'more firepower' to his attack to help take some of the goalscoring burden off the shoulders of Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.

Who could Aston Villa look to sign in January?

According to reports in Spain via Sport Witness, Aston Villa boss Emery is believed to be considering a return swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, who was of interest to the Villans during the summer transfer window.

Ceballos recently signed a new contract at the Spanish giants that will take his time in Madrid until 2027; nevertheless, Aston Villa will continue to court the player as they try to pull off a statement signing at Villa Park.

Labelled as someone who possesses a "very high-level" by Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, Ceballos has made 120 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos across all competitions, registering six goals and 12 assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

The Spain international has fared extremely well in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of progressive passes, having completed 11.29 per 90 minutes in the last 365 days on average, putting him in the 99th percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Of course, Ceballos also has some Premier League experience under his belt gained during his spell at Arsenal, where he worked under the tutelage of Aston Villa boss Emery, which could potentially add some credence to recent reports.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a tough start to their 2023/24 campaign, as issues from last season and the summer break have tarnished Gary O’Neil’s plans with his squad.

The Englishman took charge of the Old Gold just four days before their Premier League opener, following Julen Lopetegui’s departure due to worries about the size of his squad due to the club’s financial restrictions.

After making sufficient sales without room for replacements, O’Neil admitted that his side is “£80m short” of players this term, which is unfortunately reflected in the level of performance so far.

Losing star names such as Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes got Wolves off to a difficult start, resulting in the need for other players in the squad to step up and attempt to contend in the league.

What does Gary O’Neil have to improve at Wolves?

In their opening six Premier League fixtures, the Midlands side have recorded one win, one draw and four losses, where they have conceded 12 goals which stands at the third-highest number of goals conceded so far.

Only newly promoted Sheffield United and Burnley have let in more goals from the opposition than Wolves, hinting that O’Neil may have to go back to basics to ensure his side can improve.

Speaking of the basics, the Molineux outfit have scored the joint-fourth lowest number of goals so far, with six in six games, with the common narrative of their games being that they didn’t take their chances.

The 2022/23 campaign saw Wolves end the season as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers with just 31 in 38, and with no fresh firepower in their arsenal, history could repeat itself if changes aren’t made.

O’Neil may not need to look far to seek a goalscorer, with one academy player showing just how clinical he can be in the final third during his time at the club, as Nathan Fraser has shown signs that he could be nearing a breakthrough.

What could Nathan Fraser offer to Wolves?

A product of Wolves’ academy, Fraser worked his way through the ranks at his boyhood club over the years to make his senior debut earlier this campaign in the Carabao Cup.

It didn’t take long for the Wolverhampton-born starlet to showcase what he’s capable of, as he scored and assisted in the 28 minutes that he featured in the 5-0 win over Blackpool.

The 18-year-old was handed another senior appearance earlier this week during Wolves’ defeat to Ipswich Town in the cup, suggesting that O’Neil may be tempted to hand him a sporadic role in the first team as time passes.

Previously lauded as “dangerous” by analyst Mark Broomy, Fraser has what his club desires, which is the ability to score goals.

Last season, the youngster played in the Premier League 2 as an integral part of the U21 side, where he scored seven goals and recorded two assists in 23 appearances in the level above his age group.

This term has started swimmingly for the striker, who has already scored five from seven appearances in all competitions, including his senior goal that had people gushing over his talent.

If O’Neil can integrate the academy star into his plans going forward, the manager could significantly improve Wolves’ fortunes in the final third, in a player that is both well-equipped and hungry to succeed for the club.

Aston Villa arrived at Molineux on Sunday afternoon perhaps expecting a game full of goals.

Indeed, only a week ago they had dispatched Brighton 6-1, while the hosts have only kept one clean sheet this season.

We did get goals, but only one apiece as the Midlands rivals drew 1-1. It was a game dominated by stoppages as a grand total of 28 fouls were given away during the contest.

The fact the game went over the 100-minute mark, therefore, was probably not a surprise after Hwang Hee-chan and Pau Torres had found the net for their respective sides.

Who was Aston Villa's best player against Wolves?

A 1-1 game perhaps suggests that not many stood out for either side. That said, fresh from a hat-trick last week, a new contract and an England call up, Ollie Watkins was in the thick of the action again.

The striker may not have found the net but he did supply the assist for Torres' first Villa strike since signing from Villarreal in the summer.

Creating two chances, John McGinn also looked lively after a good week for him personally too, netting a late winner in the Europa Conference League to spare Villa's blushes.

Despite conceding, a centre-back pairing of Torres and Diego Carlos also looked dogged and organised in possession. Sadly, not everyone in claret and blue stood out.

Who was Aston Villa's worst player against Wolves?

As per Birmingham Mail's John Townley, Douglas Luiz was "the best player on the pitch in the first half" but it was his lapse of judgement that led to the opening goal of the game after giving the ball away cheaply.

That said, there was still plenty of time for Villa to recover, which they did not. Pedro Neto darted down the right-hand side, made it to the byline and then slid the ball cross for Hwang to fire home from close range.

Another that disappointed was new signing Nicolo Zaniolo. Having been brought into the contest with around an hour left, the stats will hardly paint him in a good light. His 14 touches were unsurprisingly less than goalkeeper Emi Martinez's 38, but that epitomised his rather anonymous display.

Unfortunately, he has found himself competing with Moussa Diaby for a spot in the side. On that evidence he will find it hard to dislodge the Frenchman who has looked at home in Villa colours so far, netting twice and assisting three in eight outings.

Zaniola, of course, has had less game time but he is yet to show the same potential after arriving as an exciting new signing.

The Italian has started three times in the Premier League this season, also appearing on three occasions from the bench, but is yet to register a goal involvement.

That never looked like happening against Wolves either, as he was a replacement for Diaby. The aforementioned Townley suggested that he 'struggled to get in the game and didn’t make much of an impact'. That was certainly reflected in the numbers.

The £60k-per-week attacker managed just three accurate passes while he was on the pitch, none of which created a chance, he didn't register a single dribble and had one shot, which was off target.

Blaming a substitute for a result would be harsh – indeed it wasn't his fault at all – but Villa supporters will be looking for Zaniolo to show a bit more quality now when he's given an opportunity. He was billed as a lively player but while Diaby continues to thrive, Unai Emery's fellow new signing cuts a frustrating figure.

Manchester United are thought to be eyeing up a possible 2024 move for a teenage midfielder, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Man Utd transfer news…

The Red Devils haven’t had the best of starts to the new season under Erik ten Hag despite bringing in eight new players over the summer. Four defeats from eight in the Premier League alongside back-to-back losses in the Champions League have seen pressure building on the manager. However, in recent updates on Ten Hag’s future at Man Utd, the Red Devils aren’t yet considering parting ways with the Dutchman following a successful first year at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, the Man Utd takeover saga looks set to come to an end soon, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe set to invest in the club after Sheikh Jassim withdrew his offer over the weekend. Ratcliffe and INEOS are on course to pay £1.3bn for a 25% stake in the club and are expected to run the football operations as part of the deal.

Therefore, they look set to be in control of signings in the New Year, with one possible addition being Benfica’s Joao Neves. The midfielder, who has a £100m+ release clause, has recently been linked with a move to Old Trafford, and a Man Utd transfer update has been shared by Sky Sports’ Plettenberg, who said:

“João Neves is a potential transfer target for Man Utd! Not in winter, but for summer – confirmed. The 19 y/o midfielder is on the list of MUFC for a long time. More top clubs are monitoring the top talent from SL Benfica!”

Joao Neves profiled

Neves could well be a possible signing next summer then, by which time he will be approaching his 20th birthday. He can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder and has enjoyed a brilliant rise over the past 12 months, with Neves’ transfer value going from €400,000 to €20m, as per Transfermarkt.

Already a Portugal international, Neves has been labelled as a “warrior” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig and has progressed through Benfica’s youth system, making 31 senior appearances in all competitions. (Joao Neves stats – Transfermarkt)

Former trainer Luis Castro has also praised Neves recently, describing him as a “complete” player who could shine in the Premier League, should a move materialise.

“(He can) play in any championship in the world. (He’s) a complete and very intelligent player. The Premier League is the best league in the world, and not only would he be able to adapt, but he would also play and shine.

“Knowing João, I think he is not worried about the next step but about the next game. He had good training at Benfica, but at family level he also had a lot of support. He is very focused. I believe that if and when he takes the leap he will be prepared. He started training with the A team around the time of the World Cup because they needed him, and I told my technical team that we probably wouldn’t see him again. I knew his quality and his way of working.”

Therefore, it looks as if a move will be one to keep an eye on over the next six months or so, where United may be hoping to be in a good position to get a deal over the line.

There are deep-rooted issues at Sheffield Wednesday that have contributed towards their demise this season.

The ownership of Dejphon Chansiri has been the biggest factor, insisting against putting any more money into the club which has left the Owls with a cash-strapped squad that isn't good enough to compete in the Championship.

On top of that, the decision to hire Xisco Munoz has proven to be a terrible one, although he wasn't helped with the tools provided, he led Wednesday to the worst start in the club's history with no wins after 10 matches.

Following that horrendous start to the campaign, the Spaniard was sacked and replaced with former German assistant manager, Danny Rohl, who will take charge of his first game on Saturday against Watford.

While it seems unthinkable for him to pull Wednesday out of this mess and guide them to safety, it isn't the only time that the club have attempted to pull off something remarkable, and their attempts to sign striker Jamie Vardy in 2015 certainly aligned to that narrative.

Did Sheffield Wednesday almost sign Jamie Vardy?

According to Football Insider, a £5m deal was in place for Wednesday to sign Jamie Vardy in the summer of 2015 with the ex-Leicester boss, Nigel Pearson, sanctioning a deal for the Premier League sensation.

During his time at the club, Chansiri has wound up Owls supporters on several occasions with his reckless decision-making, but deciding to pull out of a deal to sign Vardy at the last minute is arguably his worst piece of misjudgement.

Despite chalking up 15 goal contributions in his debut season in the top flight, the Thai owner was reportedly unconvinced by the former Fleetwood man.

To make matters worse, Vardy is a lifelong Wednesdayite and was reportedly interested in moving back to the area, only to find out that a deal had been called off and he would remain at the King Power stadium.

What unfolded next was the most remarkable story in Premier League history. From pulling off the "great escape" in the 2014/15 season to miraculously winning the Premier League title a year later, Vardy would etch his name into Foxes folklore by plundering 24 goals and eight assists in 36 appearances.

It is astonishing to think that the Premier League could have been denied one of its greatest-ever goal-getters if Chansiri hadn't pulled the plug on a deal to sign him in 2015, instead splashing the cash on Gary Hooper and Fernando Forestieri.

How many Premier League goals has Vardy scored?

Vardy's well-documented rise from non-league striker to Premier League title winner has become a tool of inspiration for talented players plying their trade lower down the pyramid.

The Englishman has built a career from being a predatory number nine who is always looking to burst into spaces in behind utilising his lightening pace to free him away from opposition defenders.

While his incisive movement and pace put him in the position to score, his calmness in front of goal and exceptional finishing has seen him become one of the top flight's most prolific strikers, setting the record for scoring a goal in 11 consecutive matches that still stands today.

With the range of finishing techniques stashed in his locker, Vardy showed he was capable of scoring all types of goals, including the long-range screamer against Liverpool and the deft lob that saw him set the above record against Manchester United.

The 36-year-old's legacy as a lethal finisher is backed up by his relentless consistency in front of goal, racking up 136 goals in 309 Premier League appearances, a total that puts him in 15th position in the all-time charts.

Vardy's exploits have even been used as an example for the next generation of strikers with goal machine Erling Haaland revealing the inspiration he took from the Englishman for one type of goal he scored previously.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I’ve been watching a lot of players, let’s take for example the run in behind the centre-back when the No 10 has the ball, You have maybe the best in the world at that, Jamie Vardy."

Lauded by Pep Guardiola for his "exceptional" qualities, the predatory striker has reined in the plaudits across his illustrious career and if he manages to fire Leicester back to the top flight, at the age of 36, the Foxes legend will have another remarkable achievement to add to the list.

After flirting with relegation in the Premier League last season, West Ham United could ill-afford a disappointing start this time around. The summer sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal didn't exactly boost the confidence surrounding David Moyes' side, either. Now nine games in, the Hammers have more than exceeded expectations and put an end to any doubts, losing just three times during that period.

Much of the credit for their solid start deserves to go to the recruitment team, who did well to welcome the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez to cover for Rice's exit. They could repeat their transfer tricks when the January window swings open, too, with scouts sent to watch one particular left-back target.

West Ham transfer news

Ending the last campaign as European champions after winning the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina, West Ham entered the summer transfer window with a new swagger about them that quickly became apparent in deals for the likes of Mohammed Kudus. And whilst they still have that European crown, those at the London Stadium may just look to add to Moyes' squad even more in January, potentially resulting in more competition for current left-backs Aaron Cresswell and Emerson Palmieri.

According to Dean Jones, West Ham are scouting Valencia left-back Jose Gaya. Jones told GiveMeSport: "Yeah, he's obviously being scouted right now so he's one of the players that they're just checking out. We know what West Ham are like when it comes to finding players. They cast the net far and wide and that's what they'll be doing now as they look for a new left back. I do think there's a pretty good chance that they do continue to recruit and this is one of the positions that they'll be looking at."

It remains to be seen whether or not West Ham make their move for Gaya, but if they've been impressed by what they've seen when watching the Valencia man, then Moyes could have himself another defensive reinforcement.

Jose Gaya is a "phenomenon"

Gaya's stats show why West Ham have been keeping an eye on him. The 28-year-old would come with plenty of experience and it could be argued that he would even be an upgrade on Emerson. As things stand, the Hammers have just got the former Chelsea man to call on with Cresswell suffering from ongoing injury issues.

Player

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes Received

Take-ons completed

Jose Gaya

30

38

8

Emerson Palmieri

15

27

7

Gaya has earned plenty of praise throughout his career, including from former Spain manager Luis Enrique, who said, via Football Espana, after the left-back was forced to return home during the World Cup through injury: "Left back is the only position I can’t wait for anyone. There is no one who can adapt to what we ask for. If it were in another position, the player would be here. But they are two specific guys that have the characteristics to play there. Jose Gaya is a phenomenon, a guy who I get on with brilliantly. I feel it in my soul, I have to put the team before my feelings.”

At the start of the Premier League season, Everton looked on a collision course for relegation with five winless games to open their campaign, highlighting a side void of any and all confidence. Fast-forward a couple of weeks, however, and the ship has steadied at Goodison Park and Sean Dyche's side are cruising towards the comforts of mid-table.

The former Burnley manager has gone from an opening run to forget to wins over Bournemouth and West Ham United, as well as a draw against an always-impressive Brighton & Hove Albion side, in what has been a sensational turnaround. Whilst concerns continue to build off the pitch and a potential points deduction and transfer sanction looms, Dyche is doing his bit to maintain Everton's safety. And he could be rewarded in the January transfer window with one particular reinforcement, according to reports.

Everton transfer news

Though they weren't in the best position to welcome extensive changes in the summer transfer window, Everton did at least manage to welcome the likes of Ashley Young, Arnaut Danjuma, Jack Harrison and Beto to hand Dyche a number of players who could make a difference in his side.

The investment of 777 Partners should hand the former Burnley boss a boost in the January transfer window too, should the Toffees avoid transfer sanctions following the Premier League's financial fair play investigation.

According to TeamTalk, Everton are eyeing a move for Fabio Jalo in January, alongside Brighton and Fulham. The Barnsley winger, who is still just 17-years-old, impressed on his senior debut for the club in their recent 3-3 FA Cup draw against non-league Horsham. Jalo's wonder goal against Horsham could have stolen the headlines if it wasn't for the visitors' incredible display to earn a replay.

The goal looks to have been enough to impress some Premier League sides, however, which could leave the youngster with a huge decision to make come January.

Everton interested in "excellent" Jalo

If Everton are to ease any future relegation fears and return to their previous place among mid-table clubs fighting for a European place, then investing in young players could be the key. Jalo would be a good first investment towards that too. The 17-year-old has earned plenty of praise during his time at Barnsley, and even earned their academy player of the season award in 2022.

Academy manager Bobby Hassell had nothing but positives to say about Jalo following the award, telling Barnsley's official website: "Fabio has had an excellent season. He’s top scorer at under 16s and under 18s level and has also played and scored for our under 23s, too.

“He’s recently had a call-up to an England youth training camp, which is testament to how well he has been playing – especially at the older age groups. We will continue to monitor his development over the coming weeks and months, but it is important that he keeps working hard in order to reach his potential, because I’m sure he has a very bright future.

“Fabio is fully deserving of this award. There were lots of players who stood out – as a collective, our under 18s have been magnificent – but the levels of consistency and maturity he has shown throughout the season have really caught the eye.”

Amid talks over the potential sale of the club, West Bromwich Albion have done well to keep up in the race to secure a place in the Championship play-off places come the end of the season. Carlos Corberan deserves most of the credit for the Baggies' start, given that he was forced to endure a difficult summer transfer window at The Hawthorns.

Sitting seventh and only outside the all-important top six on goal difference, the former Huddersfield Town manager may well take West Brom back to previous heights with some financial backing. The potential sale of the club could see those at West Brom aim to welcome one specific January target and someone who could make all the difference in their pursuit of Championship promotion.

West Brom transfer news

During the summer transfer window, West Brom welcomed just three players whilst bidding farewell to the likes of Dara O'Shea and Jake Livermore. On paper, they should not be in a position to compete for a play-off place, but here Corberan's side are, ready to shock the rest of England's second tier by vying for a place at Wembley. If the Baggies can get their takeover across the line by the January transfer window, then they could welcome a potential game-changer.

According to TeamTalk, West Brom are looking at a move to sign Kwame Poku, who has got off to a blistering start for Peterborough United in League One this season. The winger's form, which has seen him rise to the top of the League One assist chart with six to match his six goals, has reportedly attracted the interest of Sunderland, Millwall, Ipswich Town, Bristol City and Stoke City, alongside the Baggies.

"Excellent" Poku could make Championship move

It's fair to say that Poku has more than proved his quality in League One this season – quality that could be replicated in the Championship. The left-footed winger with 12 goals involvements in 16 league games this season is still only 22-years-old, and looks likely to get better and better. (Kwame Poku stats – Transfermarkt)

Having already made his international debut for Ghana, this is a player who looks ready to take things up a level when it comes club action, which could leave West Brom in good stead when chasing his signature. With a number of clubs reportedly interested in the Peterborough man, however, the Midlands club may have to act quickly.

Enduring an impressive rise all the way from his Colchester United spell, Poku has earned plenty of praise, including from former U's manager John McGreal. McGreal told The Gazette Standard back in 2020:

“I thought KP was excellent – it was an outstanding performance from such a young lad. The thing is with him, I can put him on the left wing, on the right wing or I can have him as the number ten.

“What he does in all three of the roles is as good as I’ve seen a person do. He’s 18 years of age and he’s got a huge, huge career in the game if he keeps listening and learning which he does – that’s the big thing with Kwame."