West Brom now sign Phillips’ replacement, who scored two goals in the playoff finals.
West Bromwich Albion will not wallow in the disappointment of Matt Phillips’ departure for very long with this summer signing.
West Bromwich Albion did not waste time after leaving the Championship play-off semi-finals, unveiling their retained list five days after their 3-1 second-leg defeat to Southampton, with seven senior Baggies players released in the process.
Matt Phillips’ departure would have been the most painful of all, given that the experienced 33-year-old had made 255 appearances for the Baggies over eight memorable seasons before being greeted with this news following an injury-plagued 2023/24 season.
Still, the elderly forward made 26 appearances for Carlos Corberan’s team and contributed six goals, although he will be a free agent at the end of the month.
This might imply that West Brom are searching for a winger to cover holes in the areas along the wings at the Hawthorns, which is why the promotion contenders are looking at this prospective signing to lessen the impact of the 33-year-old departing for free.
West Brom still looking for “fantastic” striker
Josh Murphy faces a huge choice after a “fantastic” season with Oxford United, as characterized by football analyst Carlton Palmer recently. His contract position at the Kassam Stadium remains unsettled.
The Sun claimed back in April that the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers, and others were going after the dynamic winger’s talents, who scored 10 goals from 38 appearances in all for the U’s.
Two of those ten goals came during his side’s 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, as Murphy’s tricks and flicks down the left wing proved too much for the Trotters to handle on the day, as they collapsed on the big stage, allowing Des Buckingham’s men to shock promotion.
Still hoping that their ex-Norwich City man will stay in Oxfordshire for his side’s exciting journey to the Championship, with contract talks currently underway, the Baggies will keep their fingers crossed that they can persuade him to relocate to the West Midlands instead, to possess a player of Phillips’ caliber once more.
