West Brom must consider Wolves swoop if Crystal Palace deal collapses | OneFootball

West Brom must consider a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers' Ki-Jana Hoever if a deal for Crystal Palace's Danny Imray falls through

West Bromwich Albion survived relegation to League One by the skin of their teeth in the season just gone, as the Baggies hope for a strong summer transfer window to ensure a similar fate doesn't await them next time around.

Indeed, not since the year 2000 have West Brom finished as low as the bottom half of the Championship, with the Black Country outfit having an immense record of finishing in either the top half of the second tier or in the Premier League since then. That was at least before the last campaign.

Ryan Mason was handpicked at the beginning of the 2025/26 season to lead the Baggies into the campaign, but inconsistent form saw the club linger just above the relegation zone, and his successor, Eric Ramsay, didn't fare much better, winning none of his nine games in charge.

Ex-midfielder James Morrison was brought in to do a firefighting job, in what was his first experience as a head coach, and performed admirably, guiding West Brom to safety despite a two-point deduction for financial breaches.

Morrison was officially named as the club's new permanent boss by the end of April after steering them to safety, and has since made no secret of his intention of bringing back right-back Danny Imray from Crystal Palace after a successful loan spell, but may be forced to turn his attention elsewhere if a deal for the defender cannot be reached due to one key factor.

West Brom should consider raiding Wolves for right-back Ki-Jana Hoever if a deal for Danny Imray deal falls through

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Imray, 22, scored once and assisted twice in 16 appearances for the Baggies in the second half of the campaign, having endured a successful loan spell in League One with Blackpool during the first half of the season.

The Englishman, who is also eligible to represent Trinidad and Tobago, has returned to Palace following the end of his loan spell, but whether his future lies with the UEFA Europa Conference League winners remains to be seen.

Oliver Glasner allowed him to gain experience out on loan in the EFL, and now that the Austrian has departed Selhurst Park, former Lens boss Pierre Sage is set to take the reins in South London, and whether the Frenchman has Imray in his plans, at this stage, remains to be seen.

With Daniel Munoz ageing and the only obvious right wing-back in Palace's ranks, Imray may well be allowed to impress under Sage, and therefore put a permanent move to the Hawthorns in doubt.

If that does indeed happen, then West Brom must have a backup plan and should consider nipping down the road to bitter rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and ask about the future of Ki-Jana Hoever.

Hoever, 24, joined Wolves in the summer of 2020 from Liverpool for around £13.5 million, but the Dutchman has struggled to nail down a place at Molineux since his arrival, heading out on loan to PSV Eindhoven, Stoke City on two separate occasions, Auxerre, and, most recently, Sheffield United.

The wing-back has made just 33 appearances for Wolves across all competitions since his arrival, just over half of what he managed in 18 months with Stoke, and doesn't appear to be in the Old Gold's plans moving forward.

Each of Jackson Tchachoua, Rodrigo Gomes, and Pedro Lima can all play in the same position, whilst Kieran Trippier has recently signed a deal at Molineux, albeit that deal now appears to be in doubt following the dismissal of Rob Edwards.

Cesar Peixoto is expected to be announced as the club's new boss imminently, and whether he views Hoever as a player worth keeping around remains to be seen.

The Dutchman has just one year remaining on his current deal in the Black Country, and this summer could be Wolves' last chance of recouping any sort of fee for him.

West Brom ought to consider Hoever in the event of Imray remaining at Palace, as, although it would be controversial moving from one club to another, it's a path that has been walked before, and could be walked again by the defender.

James Morrison must put Wolves rivalry aside to look at Hoever as Danny Imray backup plan

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Having officially taken charge of the Baggies on a permanent basis, Morrison will have the opportunity to utilise the summer transfer window to reshape the squad in his image.

Imray would, of course, be the ideal signing at right-back, having already shown his worth to the Baggies, but with his move not a foregone conclusion, Hoever must be considered.

The Dutchman is still at a good age (24), and has 70 games in the Championship under his belt, as well as numerous top-flight experience, with each of Wolves, Liverpool, PSV, and Auxerre.

With just 12 months left on his current deal at Molineux, he could be available for a cut-price deal, and West Brom should take advantage of their rivals' position, even if it would mean giving money to them.