Why West Brom look set to beat Hull City to Man Utd deal | OneFootball

Toby Collyer looks set to return to The Hawthorns over the MKM Stadium in order to enhance his development

West Bromwich Albion are reportedly set to fend off competition from Premier League side, Hull City, in the race to re-sign Toby Collyer from Manchester United on a permanent basis.

That is according to the Sun, with there now just a matter of days for the Championship side to add players to James Morrison's squad at The Hawthorns following an impressive start to the season.

Indeed, West Brom were narrowly defeated 3-2 by Newcastle United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, but are one of just three sides to still hold a 100% record in the second tier heading into the final matches in August.

Albion have continued their positive momentum under the Scot which helped them stave off a first relegation to League One since 1993 with victories over Norwich City and Burnley, whilst also making a number of impressive transfer dealings to-date.

Jimmy-Jay Morgan, who was recruited from Chelsea after an impressive loan spell with Peterborough United, has continued to shine in B71, and now Morrison will hope the same fate applies to Collyer if a permanent deal can be sewn up between themselves and the Red Devils ahead of Tuesday's 11PM deadline.

How West Brom look set to seal Man Utd, Toby Collyer transfer ahead of Hull City

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Collyer, 22, has been on Manchester United's books since 2022, having been signed from fellow Premier League side, Brighton and Hove Albion to join the academy at Carrington.

Since then, the midfielder enjoyed an initial breakthrough under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, which included appearances in United's run to the 2025 UEFA Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, but was then sent on loan to B71 last August under Ryan Mason.

However, a disappointing season on an individual basis would ensue for Collyer, as a calf injury sustained against Birmingham City last November saw him make just 12 appearances for West Brom, before only a further five were made for the Tigers, who won last season's Championship play-offs.

Albion were initially linked with a permanent transfer before Hull, again, entered the race with United reportedly demanding just £3m for his services.

But, it has now been reported that Collyer is likely to opt for a Championship return due to the likelihood of regular first-team minutes, having racked up just 357 last season in all competitions.

How Sergej Jakirovic has reacted to Hull City's battle with West Brom for Toby Collyer

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Hull have already made 12 signings since their return to the Premier League, which was marked with a 2-0 win over Collyer's current employers in East Yorkshire six days ago.

The Tigers have already beaten Birmingham to the recapture of Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United, and whilst the aforementioned report suggests the opposite fate will apply in this particular transfer race, Jakirovic hasn't given up hope that the top-flight side will fend off interest from West Brom and Middlesbrough.

He told Hull Live: "We can improve him a lot, but the main thing is that he stays healthy. I saw that he did all pre-season with Man United, which is great. He knows this area here and our team, everything, so there is no adaptation for him and why not?"

West Brom move would be ideal for Toby Collyer's career at present

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During his tenure, Morrison has got the best out of some exciting prospects in the West Midlands, and it is rather apparent this could be West Brom's long-term vision when assessing the bulk of their transfer activity.

The likes of Felix Horn Myhre and Rabby Nzingoula - who joined hours after Football League World exclusively revealed