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JUST IN: West Brom Refuses contract extension, Says he wants a new dream.
The 8 West Brom players who are leaving on a free next summer
- West Bromwich Albion faces financial challenges and will need to sell players to balance the books.
- Several players, including Tom Fellows and Martin Kelly, are approaching the end of their contracts and expected to leave next summer.
- Matt Phillips, the longest-serving player, may leave the club as well, although he remains an important part of the squad.
With West Bromwich Albion remaining in a worrying financial situation, a number of players will have to leave next summer to balance the books.
The Baggies, led by Carlos Corberan, will be searching for promotion back to the Premier League at the third time of asking after narrowly missing out on a play-off place last campaign, despite a resurgent run of form under the Spaniard.
While restrained to only free transfers and loan deals for recruitment, Albion were focused mainly on departures to raise funds after taking out a £20 million loan from MSD Holdings, with nine exiting the Black Country during the summer transfer window.
Former club captain Dara O’Shea’s move to Burnley was the standout exit of the window, with a reported £7m fee stabilising the club for the short-term future.
Tom Fellows
First up is Tom Fellows, who progressed through the West Brom youth ranks after joining the West Midlands outfit at U10’s level.
The 20-year-old made his competitive debut for the Baggies in the clubs’ 6-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup to Arsenal back in August 2021.
The winger had his first taste of regular EFL football last term at Crawley Town but only produced two assists from 38 League Two games while at the Red Devils.
Fellows faces a race against time to earn himself a new contract, with his deal set to expire in the summer of 2024.
Martin Kelly
Martin Kelly is the next man out of contract next summer after arriving under the tenure of Steve Bruce from Crystal Palace.
The experienced former top flight defender fell out of favour under Corberan and was loaned out to Wigan Athletic last term but suffered a serious knee injury on his debut at Blackburn Rovers – keeping him out for the remainder of that season.
The 33-year-old faces an uphill task to register a starting spot this campaign, with Corberan having an array of options to choose from in central defence.
Nathaniel Chalobah
Next up is Nathaniel Chalobah, who made his move to the West Midlands on deadline day of the January transfer window in 2023.
The 28-year-old has not had the best of starts to his Albion career, with no attacking contributions recorded in 14 Championship appearances last season.
Chalobah and the Albion faithful have not seen eye-to-eye upon his arrival, with the former having to apologise on social media after getting into an altercation with a fan, so it remains to be seen whether the midfielder will remain at the Hawthorns beyond next summer.
Erik Pieters
Erik Pieters is another to potentially see the exit door in the not so distant future, with the experienced Dutch defender signing a one-year contact extension at the beginning of this campaign.
The former Stoke City and Burnley man proved to be a pivotal part to the Corberan system with Pieters the only recognised left-footed central defender at the club.
The 35-year-old cemented himself as a first-team mainstay, featuring 36 times over the course of last season but could depart with age not on his side.
Adam Reach
Adam Reach is the next player set to be out of contract, who is reportedly the highest-paid player at the club on £40,000 a week.
After arriving from Sheffield Wednesday in August 2021, Reach has made over 50 appearances for the Baggies, with a host of experience in the second tier.
With Albion keen to recuperate much-needed funds into the club, the 30-year-old is set to depart next summer to free up the wage bill.
Alex Mowatt
Alex Mowatt enters his third year in the Black Country after returning from his loan spell at Middlesbrough last term.
A summer arrival under Valerien Ismael, Mowatt played 28 times during his time at the Riverside Stadium, as Michael Carrick’s side were defeated in the play-off semi-final by Coventry City.
The Doncaster-born midfielder will be looking to establish himself in the first-team setup in a fresh challenge under Corberan, with time ticking down on his current deal.
Cedric Kipre
Another returning loanee is Cedric Kipre, with the Ivorian becoming a fan-favourite at Cardiff City as the Bluebirds secured second-tier safety under Sabri Lamouchi last campaign.
Similarly to Mowatt, Kipre has the opportunity to assert himself into the Baggies backline under Corberan after scoring three goals from 42 games in South Wales.
Matt Phillips
Rounding off the list is Matt Phillips, who is currently the longest-serving Albion player in the squad, entering his eighth season at the club.
The former Scottish international has made over 200 appearances for the Baggies and has been a popular figure during Corberan’s stay, starting the first nine games under the 40-year-old before sustaining a quad injury in their FA Cup third round replay against Chesterfield.
