Alex Palmer signs: How West Brom’s dream end to July in the transfer window looks | OneFootball

FLW reveals the deals Albion should do to have a perfect end to July.

West Brom are accelerating their pre-season activity as the 2026-27 Championship campaign draws closer.

After securing a 3-0 victory over League One outfit Sheffield Wednesday at St George’s Park, James Morrison’s men made it two wins from two when completing their overseas camp in Portugal, dispatching fellow third tier side Bromley 4-1 in Albufeira.

In terms of summer transfer activity, the Baggies had originally made a fast-paced start after retaining their Championship status by the skin of their teeth.

The Baggies kicked off their spending with the addition of forward Barney Stewart from Falkirk, then announcing the arrival of Liverpool defender Carter Pinnington, although the former Reds man will originally be placed into Albion’s U21’s setup for development.

Albion’s third and latest signing is of exciting Chelsea youngster Jimmy-Jay Morgan, who has impressed so far in pre-season and has been on the scoresheet in both their victories so far.

The England U20 international, like Stewart, has penned a four-year contract at The Hawthorns, with Albion spending an up-front fee of £1.3m, while add-ons could take it to as high as £4m.

But for a number of weeks, Albion’s transfer activity has worryingly quietened down, with the Black Country outfit still requiring a lot more quality additions that can improve each department, with controlling shareholder Shilen Patel echoing that sentiment by confirming in an open letter to supporters that their business is far from finished.

So between now and the end of July, Albion supporters will be hopeful to see the transfer ball rolling once again, with their season kicking off competitively on the 8th August with an away trip to Rotherham United in the Carabao Cup.

With this in mind, FLW details the transfer activity West Brom must get done in order to have the perfect end to July.

In: Alex Palmer

Starting off, West Brom will surely be hunting for another man in between the sticks to build a competitive goalkeeping department under James Morrison.

While Albion did manage to tie down Max O’Leary to a new three-year contract following his impressive stint over the second half of last season, the Baggies did sanction the sale of academy graduate Josh Griffiths to Stoke City.

Albion did also act to move for free agent Matt Ingram, but it does only leave two senior goalkeepers on the books, with a third needing to be added for further competition, while having a trio of shot-stoppers would prevent panic in case of an injury crisis in that area.

And one man who could be available for a move is former Baggies number one Alex Palmer, who appears surplus to requirements at Ipswich Town.

Originally moving from The Hawthorns to Portman Road, Palmer was the number one choice at Ipswich through the remainder of their 2024-25 Premier League campaign, while he retained the jersey as they returned to the Championship under Kieran McKenna.

But after featuring in their opening 10 league second tier games of last season, Palmer suffered an unfortunate calf issue against Charlton Athletic and then failed to play another game during their promotion-winning campaign after losing his place to Christian Walton.

Now back in the top-flight and under the new guidance of Gary O’Neil, it appears Ipswich are closing in on a new goalkeeping capture, with the Tractor Boys set to sign Dutch goalkeeper Kayne van Oevelen from FC Volendam for a reported fee of £5m.

This will undoubtedly push Palmer even further down the pecking order, and it appears a no-brainer of a deal for Albion to get done.

Throughout his time with the Baggies, Palmer established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in the Championship, and he’s a dependable and established player in between the sticks that Albion need to get back into the promotion hunt.

It appears a deal Palmer would be keen on too, after being such a fan favourite at The Hawthorns, and if West Brom’s recruitment team had any sense, they would be banging at Ipswich’s door to get an agreement in place.

In: Danny Imray

Another player who would get a joyous reception if he returned to the club would be Danny Imray.

The Crystal Palace loanee was a shining light at right-back under James Morrison in the back end of last season and crucial to Albion going on a 10-game unbeaten streak, which ultimately kept the Black Country outfit in the second tier.

After being unleashed from the shackles of Eric 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 Albion fans want Imray to remain on the club’s books, and if a signing can get over the line, then there would be massive optimism about how the 2026-27 term plays out.

It could be achievable too, particularly with Palace adding to their right-back department with the arrival of Spanish defender Oscar Mingueza, pushing Imray further down the pecking order.

Despite wanting to impress under new Eagles boss Pierre Sage, it may well be time for Imray to wave goodbye to Selhurst Park with 12 months remaining on his contract, and it appears the Baggies are set to move for the 22-year-old, with a report by The Telegraph’s John Percy at the beginning of May revealing that one of Albion’s top targets was to bring Imray back to The Hawthorns on a permanent basis.

With Imray so fundamental to Morrison’s success, it’s a signing that could well see Albion get back to fighting towards the top end of the Championship table, so the Baggies must do all they can to get this over the line come the end of July.

By the end of July, it’s imperative West Brom add to their wide areas, with that department a cause for concern at this moment in time.

So much so that James Morrison has admitted that it’s where the Baggies are looking at adding to next during the summer transfer window, with Mikey Johnston and Ollie Bostock their only two senior wide options following the departures of Karlan Grant and Jed Wallace.

In the last week or so, Albion have been linked with bolstering out wide, and are reportedly part of a tussle to sign Brighton winger Tommy Watson.

A report by the Sunderland Echo claims that six sides, including West Brom, are interested in a move for the 20-year-old, ranging from Premier League new boys Hull City to League One outfit Leicester City. Second tier sides with their names in the hat alongside Albion are Preston North End, Derby County and West Ham United.

The former Sunderland attacker spent the second half of last season on loan at Millwall, failing to find the back of the net, so there are some concerns about his career going on a downwards trajectory and whether he would be a good fit at The Hawthorns.

But what Watson needs right now is consistent gametime to get his confidence levels back up, and Albion could be the ideal place to play his football, particularly when the Baggies are so short of options on the right flank.

With a point to prove after an underwhelming Championship loan spell, Watson could add a fearless approach to Albion’s forward line, who are in desperate need of an injection of creativity.

It appears a deal that would work out for all parties, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this deal advance come the end of the month.

When it comes to outgoings, the Baggies won’t be too keen on sanctioning many more after nine players have already left the building, but outcast Alfie Gilchrist could be an exception.

The former Chelsea prodigy really struggled for minutes over his first season at The Hawthorns, featuring just 13 times and making only eight starts.

And if Danny Imray was to make a permanent move to The Hawthorns, Gilchrist would once again be pushed out of the frame, while promising youngster Alex Williams will be looking for more first-team action after impressing in the early days of Ryan Mason’s tenure.

Because of this, Gilchrist has been linked with a move away, with a report from Sky Sports claiming both Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers are interested in a loan move, although Pompey’s interest has since been quashed.

However, with Rovers still in the mix, it may well be worth moving Gilchrist away to get a fairer chance of playing regular minutes, with the versatile defender unlikely to see his first-team prospects dramatically change after being underused by Morrison during his time in interim charge.