Dike in, Taylor out: Is this the best West Brom XI after the January transfer window? | OneFootball

FLW details what West Brom’s best XI looks like now the winter transfer window has closed.

After the closing of the winter transfer window, West Brom will be hopeful they have enough quality in the ranks to secure Championship safety by the end of the season.

The Baggies are in real danger of dropping through the League One trapdoor at the moment, with these coming months crucial to the club gaining stability after a rocky period of struggles both on and off the pitch.

While Albion have tried to revamp the squad under Bilkul, the team struggled to get consistent results under Ryan Mason, which led to the former Tottenham Hotspur and Hull City midfielder being sacked in January 2026 - winning nine of his 27 games in charge.

And so far the change in the dugout to Ramsay has done little to inspire confidence in the dressing room either, with Albion needing a spark from somewhere to arrest the slide and get them pushing up the Championship standings.

The Baggies did all they could amongst the financial backdrop to bolster the squad ahead of what will prove to be a defining period.

With incomings, the Black Country outfit recruited four new players, with Max O’Leary a permanent addition from Bristol City until the end of the season, while Jamoldeen Jimoh-Aloba, Danny Imray and Hindolo Mustapha have joined on loan deals from Aston Villa and Crystal Palace respectively.

Meanwhile, much of Albion’s outgoings came on deadline day. Young defender Michael Parker joined Swedish outfit Orgryte IS on a permanent deal, while Samuel Iling-Junior had his loan spell at The Hawthorns cut short, returning to Aston Villa and then immediately being loaned out to Serie A outfit Pisa.

And the final exit saw third-choice goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith join Middlesbrough on loan for the remainder of the season, with Albion seemingly bringing his West Brom career to an end as his contract runs down this coming summer.

With West Brom locking in their squad for the remainder of the season, FLW lists what Albion’s best XI should look like.

GK: Max O’Leary

After goalkeeping woes this season for Albion, Max O’Leary has arrived as the new number one and is tasked with instilling some confidence into the defence.

But it didn't go according to plan on his debut at Derby County when he dropped the ball from a simple cross and allowed Patrick Ageymang to sweep the ball into an empty net, while he also conceded three at Portsmouth in a bitterly disappointing afternoon.

There is hope in the stands at The Hawthorns that mistakes will be at a premium from the shot-stopper, but he will be expected to be very busy in the Albion goal as the club wrestles with its Championship future.

RB: Danny Imray

A winter arrival from Crystal Palace, Danny Imray has been brought in for the remainder of the season to add both quality and depth to the full-back department.

The 22-year-old was originally recruited to play at right-wing-back in a three-at-the-back setup, but Albion’s best system should revert to a 4-2-3-1 to get the best out of the current crop, so Imray slots into the standard right-back position.

He should still be able to get into advanced positions and help the team towards the top end of the pitch though, after notching four attacking contributions in 13 games during the first half of the campaign on loan at Blackpool.

CB: Nat Phillips

In central defence, Nat Phillips should continue to be a starter, despite having a very poor season by his standards.

Despite the struggles, Albion need experienced players to help drag themselves out of the situation they find themselves in, and not many come close to Phillips in the Albion squad given the ex-Liverpool man is closing in on a century of appearances in the second-tier.

Hopefully, Baggies supporters can see the best of Phillips heading into the tail end of the season, and a switch to a four at the back system could be a big factor in that happening.

CB: Chris Mepham

The same can be said for Chris Mepham, who looks nowhere near the defender that helped Sunderland get back to the Premier League when he was on loan at the Stadium of Light last season.

The former Bournemouth man has lacked pace, physicality and general positional awareness ever since putting on a blue and white striped shirt, so a major step-up is needed in his game if Albion are going to start becoming resolute at the back.

Again, with his experience and multiple promotions out of the division on his CV, he is one of the best defenders on their books, and being in a more familiar formation once again could help see his performance levels rise quickly.

LB: Callum Styles

After being squeezed into central midfield due to missing personnel, Callum Styles should be reverted to left-back in this 4-2-3-1 formation.

Ever since linking up from Barnsley in the summer of 2024, the Hungarian international has been an ever-present in the side, and has definitely been one of the Baggies’ better performers, although the bar is admittedly very low.

Styles’ best games have come from marauding up and down the left flank, so he needs to get back into his natural position for the Baggies, in order to get restore balance to the backline.

CM: Jayson Molumby

Jayson Molumby has been in and out of the team in recent weeks due to injury troubles, but should be considered for a starting role now he is back up to full fitness.

The Republic of Ireland international’s passion, energy and doggedness will all be important qualities in a relegation battle, with that kind of fight needing to be matched by the other 10 players on the pitch.

CM: Alex Mowatt

Alex Mowatt is yet to be favoured under Eric Ramsay, but could well return to continue his long-standing partnership with Molumby in the middle of the park.

Mowatt’s ability to keep the ball ticking over, matched with his technical skills and ability to score goals with his wand of a left foot should see him be in contention for a return, with Albion needing goals from all areas of the pitch to ease their relegation fears.

RM: Mikey Johnston

Mikey Johnston should be one of the first names on the teamsheet for West Brom given the attacking returns he has been able to produce in such a struggling side.

The 26-year-old has been Albion’s main creative outlet and looks the only attacking option capable of producing something out of nothing, with his dribbling, directness and unpredictability making him a menace for opposition defenders this term.

His dip in form has been paralleled with Eric Ramsay’s arrival. The Welsh coach has chopped and changed his position far too many times, with Johnston unable to settle into one specific attacking role and unleash the damage that was previously seen under the tenure of Ryan Mason.

For West Brom to retain their Championship status, has to be positioned back on the right-wing. His best moments under Mason came on that side when he was given the instruction to get chalk on his boots, drive down to the byline and whip wicked deliveries in for the forwards to profit off.

Johnston appears up for the fight too, after rejecting late interest from Turkey and the Premier League in the winter transfer window, and he will be such an important player if the team are rise up the table.

LM: Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba

Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba has returned to West Brom three years on after leaving the club, joining back on loan from Aston Villa for the remainder of the season.

The youngster had his name in lights when scoring Aston Villa’s winner over Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League, and will now hope to announce himself on the second-tier stage at The Hawthorns.

With Johnston occupied on the right, Karlan Grant out for three months with a hamstring injury and Samuel Iling-Junior having his loan spell terminated, there isn’t much competition out on the flanks, so the Baggies loanee should get the opportunity to impress.

Albion will be hopeful he can add fearlessness, directness and an ability to score or create goals on a regular basis, with the team needing some creativity out wide to support the forwards.

CAM: Isaac Price

Isaac Price will not be a popular figure among the Albion faithful after his spat with the travelling supporters following their defeat to Portsmouth, but he should get the opportunity in the near future to repair the damage.

Price will be frustrated under Eric Ramsay due to the chopping and changing of positions that he’s had to go through in just a handful of games. The Northern Ireland international has already played a combination of attacking midfield, right midfield and even right-wing-back under the Welshman’s guidance.

If Ramsay does go back to a 4-2-3-1 formation, Price should be in the number 10 role, playing behind the frontman and hopefully using his quality to make the team more potent in the final third.