West Brom: Alex Mowatt facing crossroads moment at the Hawthorns: View | OneFootball

West Bromwich Albion are very much on course to secure a place in this season’s Championship play-offs.

The season has been overshadowed by the ongoing battle between Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Leicester City, and Southampton, but the Baggies have also been performing at a very high standard.

Only these four sides have won more games than West Brom, plus the fact they have the third-best defence in the league means Carlos Corberan’s men have been sitting in the fourth spot for most of the season and have an eight-point cushion over seventh-placed Coventry City.

The Midlands side have been a very robust side this season, and one player who has been a key part of that defensive solidarity has been midfielder Alex Mowatt.

The 29-year-old has been very important for Corberan in this campaign, and given his contract situation, decisions will need to be made by both the player and the club.

West Brom picked up Alex Mowatt on a free transfer in 2021, when then manager Valerian Ismael decided to bring the midfielder to the Hawthorns after working together at Barnsley.

The 29-year-old instantly slotted into the Baggies midfield and became an important figure under Ismael, as he did at Oakwell.

But Ismael’s departure from the Hawthorns soon cast doubt on the future of Mowatt, and in the summer of 2022, he was shipped out on loan to Middlesbrough.

He spent the season with Boro and helped the club reach the Championship play-offs, but their failure saw him return to West Brom, unsure of what may come next.

But with the Baggies having financial issues and being unable to sign many players, Corberan decided to keep the midfielder, and he has been a key player ever since.

Mowatt signed a three-year contract with the club when he joined in 2021, and with no further agreements, that deal is now set to expire at the end of this campaign, meaning decisions will soon need to be made.

As mentioned, Alex Mowatt returned to the Hawthorns last summer unsure what would happen next for him, as he looked out of favour with the Midlands side.

But Corberan was keen to give the 29-year-old another chance, and in a way, it was a great decision by the Spaniard, as Mowatt has really impressed this season.

The midfielder has started 31 of the 38 league games he has played this season, averaging 76 minutes of football per game, per Sofascore.com.

Mowatt hasn’t been as prolific in front of goal this season as in previous campaigns, as he’s only got one goal, which is lower than his xG of 1.64.

But the midfielder has been key with his ability on the ball, as he’s got a 90% pass accuracy, which has helped him create four big chances as well as collect five assists, which is better than his xA of 4.61.

Mowatt has also shown his ability in defensive areas, as he’s not afraid to make important tackles, averaging 1.5 per game, and he has also proven to be key to winning the ball back in important areas of the pitch, recovering the ball 4.9 times per game, as per Sofascore.com.

Mowatt is the type of player to go under the radar, as he gets on with his job and doesn’t expect to receive credit for it. But the midfielder has played an important role in the Baggies sitting where they are now in the league, so this summer is important for the player.

It is a very key summer, as this could be the player's final decent contract offer, as at 29 he may struggle with any better offers. Mowatt shouldn’t rush into any decision, as he needs to wait firstly to see where West Brom finish this season and if they make it into the Premier League.

If they do, he would likely like to sign a new contract, but obviously that would depend on West Brom. If not, he could potentially look to see what other options are out there for him.

It may depend on what West Brom suggest they are willing to do in terms of a new contract or not, and it will also depend on if he gets opportunities elsewhere, be it England or abroad.

But either way, Mowatt should wait until the end of the season before deciding what to do next.