West Brom face cash hurdle in race to sign Crystal Palace player | OneFootball

The Baggies may have to stump up money to sign loanee Danny Imray on a permanent deal.

West Brom will be hopeful of remaining a Championship club next season, despite the threat of a minor points deduction still looming over them.

The Baggies’ 3-0 victory over Watford in midweek stretched their unbeaten run under interim boss James Morrison to nine games, leaving them eight points clear of the dropzone with just two games remaining, at the time of writing.

However, that could be reduced through a potential points deduction, after The Telegraph’s John Percy stated that the Black Country outfit had been charged by the EFL with an alleged breach of profit and sustainability rules during the 2024-25 campaign.

West Brom have since responded, saying they have fully complied within the rules and haven’t made any breaches, with a hearing expected later this month to resolve the issue.

Of course, all connected will be sweating over the outcome of this, with the club unsure whether they can celebrate Championship survival just yet.

But regardless of the fears, Morrison has done a remarkable job to turn around a group of players who looked rudderless after the immediate collapse under Eric Ramsay.

One player who has been completely transformed is defender Danny Imray, turning himself into a fan favourite by balancing his rugged defensive duties with a front-footed style that the Albion supporters have thoroughly enjoyed watching.

In the midweek victory over Watford, Imray notched his first goal in the blue and white stripes while contributing another assist, adding an extra layer of potency for the Baggies going forward through his marauding runs.

Many of the West Brom faithful would be keen to see Imray link up at The Hawthorns on a permanent deal from Crystal Palace, with many believing the defender will become a free agent heading into the summer.

But a report by the Express & Star has given an update on what Imray’s contract situation looks like at Selhurst Park.

West Brom face cash hurdle in Danny Imray pursuit

As per the report by the Express & Star’s Jonny Drury, he explained that while the perception is Danny Imray’s contract runs out at Crystal Palace this summer, he is actually contracted at Selhurst Park until the following summer, meaning Albion would have to stump up some cash to secure the 22-year-old’s signature.

When answering some fan-posed questions, Drury commented: “Imray is one that fans are talking about at the moment - and I would not be surprised to see Albion try and make that one permanent.

“The public information available is that Imray is out of contract this summer. But we believe he is actually contracted until the following summer.

“So if Albion did want to make it permanent then they would need to stump up some cash.”

West Brom must do all they can to lure Danny Imray back to The Hawthorns

It will be disappointing news for West Brom supporters to learn Danny Imray won’t be available on a free transfer, with that having the potential to be one of the shrewdest transfers in the club’s history given how impressive he’s been under James Morrison.

The concern now will be how much Crystal Palace demand as a fee. It won’t be extortionate given he only has 12 months left on his current deal, but they may well be inclined to put the price up given his heroics in the second tier, particularly in such a short space of time.

He’s definitely a player on the rise given he’s adapted so quickly to the challenges of League One with Blackpool and now the Championship with the Baggies, so you expect competition would be fierce to land him.

From the player's perspective, the question is how passionate Imray is to further his career? He, of course, won’t get as ample gametime at Crystal Palace due to being behind in the pecking order to Daniel Munoz, so a move to Albion where he’s guaranteed regular starts could be the place to be on a long-term basis.

In addition, Albion are set to be more financially flexible this coming summer, as mentioned in a statement earlier in the season by the club’s controlling shareholder Shilen Patel, so the club may well have the cash to pull a deal off.

It appears a move that would suit all parties, and there’s no doubt there would be jubilant celebrations from the Albion faithful if he made his move to The Hawthorns a permanent one.