West Brom told to eye January transfer - "managerial change at West Ham" might open a door | OneFootball

FLW's Baggies fan pundit hopes that his side can lead the race to sign Freddie Potts if the midfielder becomes available in January

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

After a breakout year in the Championship last season on loan at Portsmouth, Freddie Potts has struggled to convert that into regular minutes back at West Ham United.

Under Graham Potter, the 22-year-old played more minutes in the EFL Trophy for the Hammers' Under-21s than he did in the Premier League, and if the same persists now that Nuno Espirito Santo is in charge, a move away should once again be on the cards.

Potts played a huge part in Portsmouth's surge up the Championship table after a poor first few months last season, and would be a huge asset for any second-tier side looking to bolster their squad in January.

Callum Burgess, FLW's West Brom fan pundit, agrees and feels there'll be plenty of competition for his signature, but is urging the Baggies to beat out any of their rivals to bring Potts in.

West Brom fan pundit hopes Freddie Potts will be on the January wish list at The Hawthorns

"With the managerial change at West Ham, I think you could see a rise in playing time than before, as it looked previously like he wasn't being fancied by Graham Potter, but one player I feel Albion and other Championship sides should be looking at this January would be Freddie Potts," Burgess told Football League World.

The fan pundit feels that a loan move will be the likelier option, especially given that the 22-year-old signed a new four-year contract extension in March 2025.

The central midfielder started 35 times for Portsmouth last season, scoring his sole Pompey goal in their first win of the campaign last October away at QPR.

"He had a successful loan spell last season at Portsmouth and has plenty of energy and bite in the midfield, while also possessing the technical assets of the game, which helps him create chances out of nothing and drive a team up the pitch," he said.

"That's the type of profile we lack in the midfield. We have a lot of defensive midfielders, like Toby Collyer and Jayson Molumby, but we're probably missing a central midfielder who has that drive to his game."

A runner in the middle of the park is who Burgess wants his side to target, and he feels pairing him with a more technical midfielder alongside him could be the key to unlocking defences.

"We have Alex Mowatt, who has as good a technical ability as anyone in the Championship, and I think if we had Potts next to him, it'd be a good duo," he explained.

"Mowatt could sit, whilst Potts would provide the energy, so he'd be one of the players I'd like to see Albion push for, if he's made available."

All eyes are on West Ham United to see whether Freddie Potts will be made available for loan

Ultimately, fans and clubs can have their wishlists, but it is up to the parent club whether they allow their players to depart on loan.

That being said, after consecutive spells at Wycombe and Portsmouth, the Hammers have shown that they aren't opposed to Potts continuing his development away from the London Stadium.

However, given the change in management at West Ham recently, it is still to be seen whether the 22-year-old is going to be a big part of Nuno Espirito Santo's plans.

Potts was brought on just past the hour mark in Nuno's first game in charge against Arsenal, having just observed a couple of training sessions at the time. Now, he's had a full two weeks with the non-international players at the club, so he's been able to assess the midfielder for a longer period.

Keen eyes from the Championship will now be on the Hammers' upcoming Premier League games to see whether Potts is favoured or not, and if he isn't, there'll be a disorderly queue being formed to secure his services come January.