West Brom backed to seal Ipswich Town deal - it's an 'upgrade' | OneFootball

West Brom have been told to do all they can to bring Alex Palmer back to the club after he was linked with a return.

West Brom are set for a busy transfer window under James Morrison, as the new boss looks to make his mark on the team ahead of his first full season in charge.

The Baggies have already completed the signing of Barney Stewart from Falkirk in what looks like an exciting addition, but Morrison will still feel there’s plenty of work to do.

One priority will be sorting out the goalkeeping department, as it’s an area Albion had a few issues with in the previous campaign.

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Josh Griffiths, Joe Wildsmith and Max O’Leary all featured for West Brom in the Championship, with the latter joining on a permanent basis after an initial loan.

West Brom interested in securing Alex Palmer return

Whilst O’Leary impressed after a slow start, with Griffiths set to join Stoke, and Wildsmith having been released, it’s imperative a new keeper arrives.

And, Albion have been linked with a move for former player Alex Palmer, who is currently with Ipswich.

The 29-year-old helped the Tractor Boys to promotion, but he lost his place in the XI for the final months of the season, and it remains to be seen whether the Suffolk outfit go after a new keeper now they’re in the Premier League.

If they do, it seems apparent that Palmer could move on, and the chance to return to The Hawthorns may appeal, as the academy graduate made over 100 appearances for Albion, where he is fondly remembered.

When asked by FLW about the prospect of Palmer returning, West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess was emphatic with his response, as he explained why the stopper would be a good signing for most in the Championship.

“Palmer would be a good signing for the majority of Championship teams. I was surprised last season when he lost his place in the XI to Christian Walton, although they still ended up getting promoted.

“I think Palmer has proven he is solid at this level. He won the Golden Glove under Carlos Corberan, and when you compare the goalkeeping situation to last season, where we could have Palmer and O’Leary on our books compared to Griffiths and Wildsmith, it’s quite an upgrade.”

West Brom, Alex Palmer deal could make sense for all parties

As outlined above, Palmer was one of the standout goalkeepers in the Championship during his time at West Brom, which is why Ipswich were convinced to sign the stopper as a Premier League club.

However, he will have been frustrated about losing his place in the team last season, and, given he is in his peak years, Palmer will want to be playing regularly.

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Of course, the situation at Ipswich is complicated by Kieran McKenna’s departure, and Palmer’s immediate priority will be to try and establish himself as the number one under Gary O’Neil.

But, Walton is a capable keeper as well, and it wouldn’t be a massive surprise if Ipswich did bring in someone to be the number one.

In that scenario, Palmer would surely want to move, and with Albion needing a new keeper, it does seem like a no-brainer for all parties.

If Morrison does go into the campaign with O’Leary and Palmer as his two keepers, he will be very pleased with that, and it will solve what had been a problem position for West Brom for the mid to long-term.