Everton push to sign West Brom's Tom Fellows | OneFootball

West Brom are braced for a January offer from Everton for high-flying winger Tom Fellows

West Brom are bracing themselves for a difficult January transfer window as they face a battle to keep hold of one of their prized assets in the midst of their bid to reach the Premier League.

That's according to Alan Nixon, who has claimed that Everton are admirers of the 21-year-old and have sent a delegation to check up on his Championship progress.

The England U21 cap could be sold by the Baggies, although a deal potentially hinges on Everton receiving a cash injection, with the Toffees in the midst of being taken over.

It's believed that Everton are looking for fresh legs in their attack as they look to bolster their survival hopes and have identified Fellows as someone who could not only improve their squad now, but also potentially turn a profit in years to come with age firmly on his side.

Everton aren't the only side believed to be admirers of Fellows, with Crystal Palace, Southampton, Ipswich and Newcastle United all believed to hold an interest in one of the EFL's hottest young properties.

West Brom would be unwise to sell mid-season

The elephant in the room as far as flogging Fellows goes is the fact that West Brom are firmly in the promotion picture in the Championship, so selling their prized asset mid-season would seem a strange move unless they have a like-for-like replacement lined up.

The Baggies' season has hit the rocks a little bit in recent weeks, with Carlos Corberan's side now winless in six league matches, although he'll be quick to point out that four of those ended level.

What he probably won't be as quick to flag is the fact West Brom haven't scored in four of their last five games, so selling one of their main creative sparks would be untimely at best.

West Brom's recent struggles have coincided with a bit of a nosedive in form for Fellows, who has struggled for form of late and, as a result, started Saturday's 0-0 draw against Cardiff City on the bench.

That seemed a rather strange move to drop a player who this season has more league assists to his name (five) than the rest of the squad combined (four)!

Fellows' contract situation means West Brom hold all the aces

It was only in January that Fellows signed a three-and-a-half year contract extension, keeping him at The Hawthorns until until at least the summer of 2027.

A product of the West Brom academy, Fellows claimed that signing that new contract was an "easy decision."

Whether to stay or leave West Brom will certainly be a much bigger decision, but after signing that new deal West Brom won't mind too much what the decsions is, as they get to either keep their prized asset for a little longer or claim a hefty fee for a player well under contract.

Fellows has previously spoken of how helping get the club who put so much faith in him into the Premier League would be the "biggest achievement possible" and the perfect way to repay that faith.

On that basis, it's unlikely to see Fellows leave in January when West Brom harbour hopes of getting back into the top-flight, but with such potential and a wealth of suitors, it's unlikely to see him stay at The Hawthorns too much longer.