West Brom warned of Harry Whitwell ‘risk’ as Norwich City circle | OneFootball

West Brom’s FLW fan pundit has had his say on the Canaries’ interest in promising midfielder Harry Whitwell.

West Bromwich Albion will be hopeful of a much more positive season unfolding under James Morrison.

The Baggies went on a remarkable turnaround of form under the Albion icon to preserve their Championship status last season, securing a 21st place finish despite wretched runs of form under predecessors Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay, as well as being deducted two points for controversially breaching the EFL’s P&S rules.

But now with all that behind them, Albion’s focus will be on getting themselves back into the promotion mix and targeting a return to the Premier League, with ownership group Bilkul able to spend a bit more freely now that the worst of their financial restrictions have passed over.

Their flexibility in the transfer window has already been on show, with the Black Country outfit bringing seven new faces to The Hawthorns this summer so far, which include Nolan Galves, Conor Townsend, Carter Pinnington, Felix Horn Myhre, Rabby Nzingoula, Barney Stewart and Jimmy-Jay Morgan.

But another player who could have a big impact on Albion’s season is youngster Harry Whitwell, who looks set to be given a chance in the first-team under Morrison after steady progression since breaking through the youth ranks back in 2024.

A strong performance in the Carabao Cup has generated interest from fellow Championship outfit Norwich City to pursue his signature, with the Canaries looking to exploit the fact the 20-year-old only has a year left on his current Albion contract.

With this in mind, FLW’s West Brom fan pundit has commented on the Canaries’ interest and the next steps the Baggies should take with the talented midfielder.

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After coming through the youth ranks at The Hawthorns in 2024, Harry Whitwell has had to bide his time to get a chance to impress for the West Brom first-team, with time spent representing the Baggies at youth level in their Premier League 2 campaigns, while he spent the first half of last season on loan at Forest Green Rovers and cemented himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

And last weekend, the 20-year-old put his name in lights for the Baggies in their romping 4-1 win over Rotherham United in the Carabao Cup, registering a goal and assist in the opening 45 minutes before being replaced at the break because of a knock.

Such heroics have seen Norwich City linked with making a move for the talented midfield player, with a report by journalist and Full Throstle writer Steve Tudgay detailing that the Canaries are keen to lure Whitwell to Carrow Road given the youngster has just 12 months remaining on his current deal at The Hawthorns.

Albion boss James Morrison has reiterated his intentions to keep hold of the 20-year-old and for him to be firmly in his first-team plans, but the Baggies may be forced into a difficult decision to gain some cash from a sale.

However, with no deal agreed yet for a departure, and after such an eye-catching display at the New York Stadium, it could well mean Whitwell has done enough to earn a start for their second tier opener, quite fittingly, against the linked Norwich City.

West Brom warned of Harry Whitwell ‘risk’ as Norwich City circle

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Speaking to Football League World, West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess has urged the Baggies to address Harry Whitwell’s contract situation ‘quickly’, with Albion taking a ‘risk’ of losing the talented midfielder for a minimal fee in the closing stages of the transfer window.

Speaking about Norwich’s interest in Whitwell, Callum told FLW: “It’s the risk you take when these youngsters suddenly break into the first-team.

“In Whitwell’s case, he’d been on the fringes for a while. He had several successful loan spells, particularly last season at Forest Green Rovers, but after his loan ended in January, he wasn’t able to break into the first-team, but he’s clearly impressed James Morrison during pre-season.

“So with 12 months left on his contract, you can see why Championship clubs are starting to circle, but I do think he's more likely to sign a new deal than see the final year of his contract out and move elsewhere.

“But it’s definitely something Albion need to sort out as quickly as possible, because Albion’s have had some success in recent years with youth players, the likes of Tom Fellows, Alex Palmer, Dara O’Shea all come to mind, but hopefully Whitwell takes the decision to stay at Albion rather than Albion being forced to sell him for nothing in the next few months.”

While against admittedly poor opposition, West Brom were spearheaded in their 4-1 victory in the League Cup last weekend by the presence of Harry Whitwell, who showcased why there is so much hype around him.

Whitwell was mightily impressive in Yorkshire, confidently linking up with the likes of Isaac Price, Jimmy-Jay Morgan and Aune Heggebo, while he had the trickery and skill up his sleeve that often left the Rotherham backline chasing shadows.

Such a promising display was capped off with him notching his first professional goal for the club, while he also claimed an assist as his scuffed effort was cleverly backheeled into the net by summer signing Morgan for their opening goal.

Whitwell seems to have the game that can take the Championship by storm this coming season, so the Baggies have to do all they can to tie him down to a new contract and allow him to continue his footballing journey in the Black Country.

Albion desperately missed some dynamism and a creative spark in midfield last term that contributed to their relegation battle, so keeping hold of a star like Whitwell could go a long way in seeing the team have enough ammunition at the top end of the pitch to get them back into the promotion mix.

Too often, Albion have let go of their young prospects to make a quick buck, so it’s time they stood firm and gave Whitwell the time to thrive, with the midfielder having the potential to transform into a second tier superstar this term.