West Brom backed to land Southampton transfer coup as £8m claim made | OneFootball

FLW's West Brom fan pundit has shared their thoughts on the club's links with Southampton striker Cameron Archer this summer

West Bromwich Albion are looking to back James Morrison this summer with some key additions, and with four through the doors already, more are expected to arrive at the Hawthorns over the coming weeks.

West Brom narrowly avoided the drop to League One by the skin of their teeth last time around, in a wholly unfamiliar position for the Baggies to have found themselves in.

Despite recording their worst league finish in 25 years, the overriding emotion at the end of the season from supporters will have been one of relief, as Morrison stepped in to clean up the mess left behind by Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay.

The Scot has since been appointed permanently in the Black Country, and has spearheaded the additions of the likes of Barney Stewart, Carter Pinnington, Jimmy-Jay Morgan, and Conor Townsend, but they don't look to be done there.

With each of Daryl Dike, Karlan Grant, Jed Wallace, and Josh Maja having left the club, their attack needs a huge revamp, as West Brom have seemingly set their sights on an out-of-favour division rival forward to fill the void.

West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing Cameron Archer from Southampton this summer

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With West Brom's attacking options taking a hit following the completion of the 2025/26 campaign, reinforcements in that area ought to be a priority for Morrison, despite the additions of Stewart and Morgan already.

And, the Scot looks to be targeting just that, as Southampton forward Cameron Archer has emerged as a potential target for the Baggies this summer.

Archer, 24, managed less than 1,000 minutes of league football last campaign across 30 Championship appearances, scoring four and assisting three, with five of those goal contributions coming in the final six games of the season.

Southampton's stance on Archer, at this stage, remains unclear, as the Englishman, who they signed for a potential £17 million just two years ago, has his future up in the air.

Football League World's West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, has shared their thoughts on the club's links with Archer, whether he would be a good addition at the Hawthorns, and what sort of price would be a good deal for him.

Callum told FLW: "Archer showed during his spells at Preston and Middlesbrough that when he's the focal point of the team, where he's the striker that is immediately looked towards to creating chances for him, he can be a strong source of goals, and I think that he may not have benefited from that during his time at Southampton where he has been their second or third-choice during his time there.

"I think that if he does make a move, he could be a good signing for the majority of teams in the league.

"But saying that, if he does join Albion, then that'd be a great signing, but I don't really envisage us spending around £8 million or more on any sort of player this summer.

"Teams in the Championship are certainly showing their financial muscle with the new financial rules. But I think if Albion are able to get him signed for a fee that is good value, then it would be a great signing."

James Morrison faces an uphill battle to secure the signing of Southampton forward Cameron Archer this summer despite doubts surrounding his future

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Despite Archer's future in the air, a deal for the former Aston Villa forward doesn't look easy for West Brom to secure.

The 24-year-old is under contract until the summer of 2028, and though a fee of around £5 million is what West Brom reportedly hope to be enough to tempt Saints into a deal, whether the two clubs can reach an agreement remains to be seen.

With Lewis Dobbin having recently joined Southampton for around £9 million from Villa, the exit door appears to have been wedged open for Archer, though whether he will step out of it, at this stage, is anyone's guess.