West Brom told to cut Aston Villa deal - 'let's be honest here' | OneFootball

FLW’s West Brom fan pundit has offered his thoughts of how Albion should cut loose during the January transfer window.

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…

West Brom are preparing for life under Eric Ramsay, who has begun his work as the new Albion boss this week.

The Baggies have appointed the former Minnesota United boss on a two-and-a-half-year deal, with the Welshman becoming the third manager under the Bilkul regime since Carlos Corberan departed The Hawthorns in December 2024.

There will be hope that Ramsay can be the man to find the formula for success, with the ex-Chelsea and Manchester United coach getting a Minnesota team to punch well above their weight in the MLS on limited resources.

Ramsay inherits a West Brom squad currently languishing 18th in the Championship, seven points away from the bottom three but also 10 points off a place inside the top six, so a promotion push could still be on the cards if the club can strike some consistency under the new Baggies boss.

As of now and before the end of the January transfer window, Ramsay will be assessing who fits the bill for his playing style and system and who will not be getting many minutes under his regime.

As a result, there could be some departures from The Hawthorns at the turn of the year, as the Welsh boss looks to stamp his authority on the Albion team.

With this in mind, FLW’s West Brom fan pundit has issued his thoughts on the players that the Baggies should either loan out or sell permanently during the remainder of the window.

West Brom advised to terminate Samuel Iling-Junior’s loan stay

Speaking to Football League World, West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess has urged the club to terminate Samuel Iling-Junior’s loan spell at The Hawthorns, allowing academy graduate Ollie Bostock to have more first-team chances, particularly after he excelled in last week’s third-round FA Cup victory against Swansea City.

He also believes that with Albion not holding much chance of pushing for promotion this season, blooding through the youngsters should be a priority, to see if the club can unearth another gem.

Callum told FLW: “It wouldn’t be an exit in the scenario of a sale or a player being loaned out, but an exit that many West Brom fans would like to see this month is the end of Samuel Iling-Junior’s loan, especially seeing the impact Ollie Bostock had against Swansea City by getting the assist for Jed Wallace’s goal.

“Having Iling-Junior for the rest of the season would probably limit Bostock’s chances, even though every outfield player on the bench last Sunday managed to get on the pitch, apart from Iling-Junior.

“On the left-wing you’ve got Karlan Grant, Mikey Johnston and Ollie Bostock, while on the right you’ve got Jed Wallace coming back from injury now, Johnston can play on either wing and Price could probably play there as well.

“Let’s be honest here, Albion are not going to get promoted or win the play-offs, and fingers crossed they don’t get drawn into a relegation battle, so the best outcome of the season is to not rely on loan and instead progress players of our own.”

Last week in the FA Cup, youngster Ollie Bostock grasped the chance interim boss James Morrison gave him with both hands, transforming the game and being a potent force in the final third.

His ability to beat his defender with pace and drive an excellent low cross into the box for Jed Wallace to pounce on was superb, while he showed nerves of steel by dispatching the winning penalty to send the Black Country outfit through to the fourth-round.

Bostock is someone who can add dynamism into what has been quite a toothless attack under the previous guidance of Ryan Mason, and Eric Ramsay should be looking to get him on the pitch for regular minutes in the second-tier to help announce himself on the Championship stage too.

To facilitate that, a winger may have to leave the building, and you can’t look past Samuel Iling-Junior, given his performances have flattered to deceive since linking up at The Hawthorns on loan from Aston Villa.

While he scored a sublime solo goal against Leicester City on his debut, the 22-year-old has failed to kick on, drawing criticism from Albion supporters for his lack of impact and failing to fill the gaping hole left by Tom Fellows’ departure last summer.

He would also be the player Albion would be most comfortable parting ways with given it’s a loan deal that they can terminate immediately, while if they were to sell one of their permanently contracted figures, that process could drag as far as into the final hours of the window.

So if Bostock is to get an opportunity to shine, Iling-Junior should be the player to make way, while the Baggies faithful would love to see the club introducing the youngsters and helping them achieve their dreams in the famous blue and white stripes.