West Brom must secretly want Sheffield United or Derby County to take transfer action | OneFootball

Albion will want Reyes Cleary to make a move from Barnsley, even if it’s to a Championship rival.

West Brom will be looking to build on their first Championship victory of the 2026-27 season.

The Baggies secured a 2-1 win away at Norwich City to kickstart their campaign under James Morrison, with a controversial goal from Aune Heggebo, paired with Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s stunning solo effort, ensured all three points made their way back to the Black Country.

It was a welcome win for the Baggies given their tough start on paper to the campaign, with Morrison’s men going on to host Burnley at The Hawthorns, before making a tough away trip to face fellow promotion candidates Middlesbrough.

By the time all those games are played, Albion will want to feel that they have a squad well-equipped enough to take on the rest of this relentless Championship season, with multiple positions still needing to be addressed heading into the final couple of weeks.

And while the Baggies still have to be shrewd with their spending despite the darkest financial clouds passing over, Albion will be hopeful that a former player will be making a move to the Championship this summer, with the Black Country outfit having a significant sell-on clause in place that could help them land their last few targets.

West Brom’s summer business so far

To match such a positive start to the season, West Brom have been busy during the transfer window, with seven new players walking into the building to help aid James Morrison.

20-year-old French midfielder Rabby Nzingoula is the latest arrival from Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg, a player who was exclusively revealed to be of interest to the Baggies here at FLW.

Other signings have included defenders Nolan Galves, Carter Pinnington and Conor Townsend, midfielder Felix Horn Myhre, and forwards Barney Stewart and Jimmy-Jay Morgan.

Meanwhile, the Baggies have recently been linked with re-signing Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer to replace Alex Mowatt, so that’s an indication that Albion are far from done when it comes to incomings.

Sheffield United and Derby County interested in Reyes Cleary

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If there’s one thing West Brom supporters will be frustrated at the club about, it's the sale of Reyes Cleary, who has really kicked on in his career since leaving B71.

The 22-year-old linked up with Barnsley this time last summer at the end of his Baggies contract, turning down a fresh deal in favour of more regular first-team football.

And from Cleary’s perspective, that decision couldn’t have worked out any better.

With the Tykes, Cleary was one of the top-performing players in the third tier last season, registering seven goals and 13 assists from 42 league games and rightly attracting interest from some top Championship sides.

While he started and played the entirety of Barnsley’s opening game of their 2026-27 term, Cleary could well be a Championship player in the next couple of weeks, with FLW previously revealing Derby County and Bristol City’s interest, while Sheffield United have also been touted to make a move before the window closes.

West Brom's sell-on clause for Reyes Cleary sale

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And as per a report by the Express and Star’s West Brom reporter Lewis Cox, it appears likely that Reyes Cleary will move away from Oakwell this summer.

The article claims that the attacker will leave before the 1st September deadline, commanding a fee of at least £3m.

And this will be music to the ears of the Baggies from a financial perspective, who, while not receiving a transfer fee for Cleary, instead negotiated a sizeable sell-on figure with Barnsley, and are expected to be rewarded for this when a move goes through.

West Brom will welcome fresh cash windfall

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Despite the club feeling the frustration of the fans by being unable to keep Reyes Cleary at the time, their decision to include a significant sell-on clause looks set to work wonders, providing a massive boost to Albion’s transfer budget for the remainder of the window.

Given Albion have recruited seven players so far, all on permanent deals, funds would have, expectedly, been a bit low, but this injection of cash may well prove to be pivotal in Albion being able to land some of the final targets on their shortlist.

When looking at the squad, the addition of another right-back, central midfielder, striker, as well as the main priority of a right-sided winger, would give Morrison all the tools he needs to succeed, and the pros of this heavily outweigh the cons of seeing Cleary represent a Championship rival.

The Albion hierarchy will really welcome this news, with the additional cash helping them to put the finishing touches on a solid Championship squad, with optimism brewing that they can push towards the top end of the table, rather than last season’s habit of looking over their shoulders.