"There's been issues" - West Brom face a challenging decision amid John Swift dilemma | OneFootball

The 29-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season after joining the Baggies in 2022.

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 Bromwich Albion have continued to be a competitive force in the Championship under Carlos Corberan, with the Baggies currently fourth in the table ahead of their clash with Oxford United on Saturday.

Corberan has utilised 20 players in Albion's opening nine league games of 2024/25, leading them to a six-game unbeaten run at the start of the season.

Although they are now without a win in their last three matches, the Baggies still have Premier League ambitions, and will need their whole squad to play a part, even those who are due to leave the club at the end of the campaign as their current contracts come to an end.

One of those, John Swift, has featured in every Championship game for West Brom so far, starting in all but one of those matches. However, with his deal at The Hawthorns due to expire in June, there may be a worry for the midfielder that these next few months could be his last in the navy-and-white stripes of Albion.

John Swift decision is a tough one for West Brom

Since joining the club in the summer of 2022, Swift has been a regular for the Baggies, amassing nearly 100 appearances in all competitions in just over two years.

At 29, he is slowly exiting the peak of his career, and this will be the minds of both Corberan and Albion's owner, Shilen Patel, as they start to decide whose contracts will be renewed before the end of the season.

The decision surrounding Swift will be a controversial one, due to the important role he has played in the past, but as the club look to make that step-up to the Premier League, there is a possibility he may be left behind.

Football League World asked their West Brom Fan Pundit, Callum Burgess, for his opinion on the situation, and whether he believes the 29-year-old's contract should be renewed or not.

"There was quite a lot of excitement from myself when Albion were able to bring John Swift to the club two summers ago from Reading," he started. "He was one of the most consistent performers in the Championship with his goals and assist numbers, despite playing in a struggling team.

"So I was quite excited when Albion were able to bring Swift to the club, more so than I was when we signed Jed Wallace. Swift was the main guy I was looking to see Albion get their hands on, but I'm not sure if he has exactly hit the heights that many fans would have been hoping for.

"Don't get me wrong, he's definitely been decent and been a good performer for us over the last few seasons, but there are questions still to be had of him, and Albion could perhaps look to get an improvement on Swift, maybe someone who's younger.

"There's no doubt that, since we did sign him on a free transfer, he’ll be on a high wage, so it might be a scenario where the club might be willing to get another season out of him, and see if he can hit double digits in goals and assists again, have one last hurrah and see where Albion can finish with him in the team.

"He’s been rotating with Grady Diangana, but it saw him lose his place in the team to Diangana in the number 10 role in the second-half of last season after a very good first half of the season."

"It's an interesting one, and I'm not really too sure, to be honest. I'm split on this one, but I think if he did decide to leave the club in the summer, I don't think it's one Albion fans would be losing too much sleep over, but even if it did keep Swift, I don't think I'd be too much against it."

Promotion for West Brom could see Swift leave

Although nothing is guaranteed in football, it would be silly to suggest that West Brom are not looking towards promotion this season, and will definitely see themselves as an early contender following their start to the campaign.

While Swift is a decent operator in the Championship, the Premier League could perhaps be a step too far for the midfielder to take, and the Baggies may be looking to replace him ahead of any potential top flight stay.

He has made just one appearance in the division in his career so far, featuring in the final minute of the final game of the 2013/14 season for Chelsea against Cardiff City.

While it is perhaps harsh to write him off as a Premier League footballer already, there are plenty of players available with better experience that would suit West Brom more, and continuing with solid Championship players could be a huge regret if promotion is won.

Nevertheless, there is still plenty of time to go in the 2024/25 campaign, and if Swift's performances improve to an even higher standard, then he may just win himself a fresh contract at The Hawthorns.