West Brom & Sheffield United may signal the brand new Harvey Barnes for simply £3m

The Championship has been a superb coaching floor for some incredible gamers within the Premier League and throughout Europe, with West Bromwich Albion enjoying their half alongside the best way.

Some actually sensational footballers have made their approach by means of the EFL in recent times. Look no additional than Bayern Munich celebrity Michael Olise, who began his profession with Studying.

Jack Grealish, who left Aston Villa to signal for Manchester Metropolis for £100m in 2021, performed for Notts County and Villa within the EFL earlier than his rise to stardom.

The Baggies could not have birthed stars like Grealish and Olise of late, however they did play a key position within the growth of Harvey Barnes earlier in his profession.

He racked up 9 objectives, ten ‘large possibilities’ created, and 6 assists in 26 Championship video games on mortgage from Leicester Metropolis within the first half of the 2018/19 marketing campaign.

Why West Brom want to search out their new Harvey Barnes

Now, the precedence for brand new head coach James Morrison within the upcoming summer time switch window needs to be to search out the membership’s subsequent model of Barnes on the wing.

The Baggies solely scored 48 objectives in 46 video games within the second tier this season, narrowly evading relegation to League One, and they should bolster their squad with extra high quality on the high finish of the pitch.

Mikey Johnston supplied high quality as a inventive risk, with 9 assists within the second tier, however the former Celtic attacker didn’t provide sufficient of a risk as a goalscorer.

West Brom have to discover a participant, like Barnes, who can provide objectives and assists frequently within the last third to raise the membership’s assault to the subsequent degree, in order that they’ll kick on and push for promotion within the 2026/27 marketing campaign underneath Morrison.

The Baggies have already been linked with an EFL attacker who may match the invoice, however they might should beat off competitors from their divisional rivals first.

West Brom may signal their subsequent Harvey Barnes for £3m

West Brom have been linked with an curiosity in bringing Reyes Cleary again to The Hawthorns, after promoting him to Barnsley final yr, and a payment of £3m may very well be sufficient to get a deal over the road.

Nonetheless, Championship rivals Sheffield United, managed by Chris Wilder, are among the many different groups concerned about signing the ahead, in a transfer that might permit them to play Gus Hamer centrally as an alternative of off the flank.

His type in League One for Barnsley within the 2025/26 marketing campaign means that Morrison should push the membership to beat the Blades to his signature, as he may very well be an outstanding addition to the squad.

Cleary outperformed his xG to attain seven objectives, greater than thrice as many as Johnston scored within the Championship, and registered a staggering 13 assists, while no participant within the second tier produced greater than 12 assists.

West Brom look like remorse promoting him to Barnsley final summer time as a result of they’re now reportedly eager on bringing him again, which might be an admission that they bought it unsuitable final yr.

The Baggies already had an extremely gifted younger attacker on their arms, as evidenced by his 29 objectives for the U18s and 28 objectives for the U21s, however they didn’t give him a single league look within the 2023/24 or 2024/25 seasons to show himself.

Cleary’s success at Barnsley is maybe a lesson to be taught for West Brom, because it means that they need to present their promising younger gamers with extra first-team alternatives, which may assist them to develop extra top-class prospects from their academy.

They made that mistake with the 22-year-old star, although, and it’s now time for them to reverse that error by paying £3m to deliver him again to The Hawthorns, beating Sheffield United to his signature.

Cleary’s capacity to attain and create objectives at a powerful price as a right-footed left winger means that he may very well be the membership’s subsequent model of Barnes within the Championship, because the Foxes loanee delivered repeatedly as a scorer and a creator throughout his time within the midlands.

The Baggies should now submit an official provide for the English wing wizard as quickly as attainable to make sure that the Blades don’t edge forward of them within the race to safe his companies in the summertime switch window.