Brandon Thomas-Asante? The 3 West Brom players that need to prove a point in pre-season or risk 2024/25 axe | OneFootball

FLW has a look at three West Brom players who need to prove to Carlos Corberan that they deserve to remain a key part of his plans moving forward.

West Brom are gearing up for a big summer window as Carlos Corberan looks to build a squad that can go again after their play-off heartbreak in May.

It was always going to be difficult for the Baggies to overcome a strong Southampton side over two legs, and that proved to be the case.

However, attention will already be on next season, and, in a potentially weaker Championship, Albion will no doubt be feeling that a top two finish is possible.

4 West Brom’s summer transfer plans

To do that, Corberan will need to be backed in the market, and he is sure to receive support from new owner Shilen Patel, after years of scrambling for bargains and loan deals under the previous regime.

Albion have already made some moves in this window, with Ousmane Diakite joining from Austrian side TSV Hartberg, whilst they have agreed a fee for defender Torbjorg Heggem.

So, Corberan and the recruitment team have wasted little time in trying to beef up the squad, and more activity is expected at The Hawthorns over the coming weeks.

Of course, bringing players in has ramifications on the current squad, and here we look at THREEWest Brom players who must use pre-season to show Corberan that they will remain important figures at the club…

3 Conor Townsend

It’s unlikely that Townsend will be sold in the summer, although he is entering the final year of his contract, but the left-back does face a battle for his place in the team after three years of barely missing a game.

The 31-year-old has been a reliable player since Corberan came in, playing a part in what has been a tight defence.

Yet, Heggem’s arrival means he will be pushing Townsend all the way for a place in the XI, even if the new recruit can also play as a centre-back.

But, there’s a very real possibility that Townsend isn't in the XI on the opening day trip to QPR, but he will back himself to impress enough over pre-season to ensure he retains the full trust of the manager.

Corberan’s preferred central defensive partnership last season was Kyle Bartley and Cedric Kipre, but both are out of contract.

The club revealed that fresh terms had been offered to the duo, but it seems highly unlikely that Kipre will stay amid interest from top-flight clubs.

So, even if Bartley does put pen to paper, and with Heggem’s arrival, there will be a fight for a place in the team at centre-back as it stands - and Ajayi will be hoping he is given an opportunity.

The Nigerian international didn’t let Corberan down when he did feature last season, it was simply that the two ahead of him were playing well. But, pre-season will offer a great opportunity for Ajayi to show the boss how good he can be, and he needs to put in some big performances to earn a place in the team for that trip to the R’s.

1 Brandon Thomas-Asante

Albion are expected to be in the market for a new number nine this summer, so Thomas-Asante could find himself down the pecking order.

The ex-Salford City man has a lot of very good attributes, as he works very hard, runs the channels and can effectively lead the press. But, ultimately, his goal return isn’t good enough, with Thomas-Asante finding the net 11 times in 41 games last season.

Corberan will want more goals from his leading number nine, so Thomas-Asante must show in pre-season that he can be the clinical striker that Albion crave to help their promotion push.

If not, his place in the team is under major threat, and with clubs having shown an interest in the player in the past, they may see it as the ideal time to try and prise him away from The Hawthorns.