West Brom dealt transfer blow as new £5m Danny Imray update emerges | OneFootball

The Baggies are set to miss out on re-signing Danny Imray, with the defender expected to join Championship rivals Wrexham.

Throughout the summer transfer window, one of West Brom’s main aims has been to bring Danny Imray back to The Hawthorns on a permanent basis.

The 22-year-old flourished in the blue and white stripes when linking up for the second half of last season on loan from Crystal Palace, but didn’t manage to showcase his attributes until James Morrison was placed in interim charge following the sacking of Eric Ramsay.

Shining at right-back at the back end of last season, Imray was crucial to helping Albion go on a 10-game unbeaten streak, which ultimately was the catalyst in keeping the Black Country outfit in the second tier.

After being unleashed from the shackles of Ramsay, ‘Mozza’s’ 4-4-2 system allowed Imray to maraud forward down the right-hand side and act like a second winger, with the front-footed full-back notching one goal and two assists from 16 league appearances, with Man of the Match displays against Hull City and Watford.

Mixing such impressive attacking displays with his dogged defensive duties, it’s clear to see why so many Albion are so keen to have the defender remain on the club’s books, with massive optimism brewing about how the 2026-27 term could play out if a deal got over the line.

It had been reported back in May by The Telegraph’s John Percy that one of the Baggies’ main ambitions was to land Imray once again ahead of the new second tier campaign, with the ex-Blackpool and Bromley defender so integral to the way Morrison wants his team to shape up.

Meanwhile, a report revealed by respected journalist Steve Tudgay detailed that West Brom were battling it out against eight other Championship sides for his signature, including Wrexham and Stoke City.

And now a more recent update has emerged from The Telegraph’s Steve McGrath, with Imray on the verge of moving to his preferred destination.

It’s not good news for West Brom in regard to their pursuit of Danny Imray, with the defender now severely unlikely to be returning to The Hawthorns as a permanent Albion player.

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Baggies are set to lose out on the race for Imray to Wrexham, who are set to complete the signing of the Crystal Palace man for a fee of £5m.

Tweeting from his X account, McGrath posted that Imray is expected to be left out of the Eagles’ pre-season Como Cup squad in Italy to finalise his move to North Wales, with the full-back hopeful of getting the Red Dragons to mount another promotion bid after Phil Parkinson's men narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season.

Action Images

West Brom must move on from Danny Imray development quickly

Action Images

For all connected with West Brom, this is certainly a massive punch to the stomach, with many hopeful Danny Imray would return to the Baggies and carry on the sensational form from where he ended last season.

There’ll be no other individual more disappointed than boss James Morrison too, who had made getting Imray back into his plans a big priority, but that ambition seems to have vanished.

Despite the news being so gutting, Albion need to move on and pursue other targets, with the West Brom squad still needing a significant amount of surgery so it’s well-equipped enough for the start of the season in three weeks' time.

When it comes to right-back, Albion will now be hopeful of tying down a move for Rodez defender Nolan Galves, who is believed to have reached agreements with both Southampton and West Brom for a transfer this summer.

The Baggies will be praying he elects to join The Hawthorns to solve their right-back crisis, with the Frenchman having the stark task of replacing the presence lost from Imray’s departure.

It’s a bad start to the week for all connected in the Black Country, with Albion bound to be so disappointed that they won’t see Imray grace the blue and white stripes again in the near future.