West Brom told to pounce on surprise Southampton exit for player who is a 'handful' | OneFootball

FLW's West Brom fan pundit shares their thoughts on the club potentially making a move for Ross Stewart this summer

West Brom will be playing Championship football once again next season, much to the eventual relief of many Baggies supporters, who will be hoping for a strong summer window to avoid another out-of-character relegation battle next year.

Second-tier football beckons at the Hawthorns once again next season, which usually would be a disappointment for the majority of West Brom supporters, but this time around, it's a huge relief.

Having not finished in the bottom half of the Championship since 2000, the Baggies broke that trend this season by finishing just one place above the relegation zone.

Ryan Mason's time at the helm, whilst showing initial promise, ended in disaster, which was followed by an even more calamitous spell by Eric Ramsay, leaving former midfielder James Morrison to extinguish the flames, which he just about managed.

Morrison has since been appointed as permanent boss at the Black Country outfit, and will be tasked with leading the club into the summer transfer window and next season, in what is his first taste as a permanent head coach in his career so far.

The former Baggies midfielder is looking to secure his first signing of the summer in the form of Chelsea forward Jimmy-Jay Morgan, and should be looking to follow that up with a more experienced Championship striker to complement the youngster.

West Bromwich Albion should consider a move for Ross Stewart this summer

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Following the release of Daryl Dike, and Josh Maja yet to sign the contract extension offered to him by the club, West Brom currently have just Aune Heggebo as their only recognised senior centre-forward heading into the next campaign.

The impending arrival of Morgan will help to alleviate that pressure on the Norwegian, but with Maja stalling, the Baggies should consider making a move for Ross Stewart this summer following the expiry of his deal at Southampton.

The Scot, who is currently representing his nation at the World Cup in North America, has turned down a fresh deal at St Mary's and will be available on a free transfer at the end of the month.

The 29-year-old made the move to St Mary's in the summer of 2023 from Sunderland in a deal worth around £12 million, but has struggled with injuries ever since his arrival in Hampshire.

When fit, Stewart has consistently proven he knows where the back of the net is, and following his release, clubs across the EFL will be fighting for his signature, as the Baggies ought to be in the race as well.

Football League World's West Brom fan pundit, Callum Burgess, has provided their thoughts on whether Albion should be considering a move for Stewart following his release from Southampton, even with the impending arrival of Jimmy-Jay Morgan.

Callum told FLW: "During the second-half of the season, when he was able to get a consistent run of games, Stewart showed for Southampton that he can be a real handful at the best of times, and I think having Larin coming alongside him, I know Southampton only used one centre-forward at a time, was useful for him to boost his fitness, of course over, the last three seasons.

"It was only last year, really, that he wasn't struck by a huge amount of injury issues, so, of course, there is that risk when it comes to signing him, like we had with Dike for a few years. And then last season, we did manage to get Dike fit and have a run of games.

"So you would hope we could apply that with Stewart if he did come to the Albion, where he'd be potentially alongside Heggebo, Jimmy-Jay Morgan, and perhaps more strikers who could join the club in the near future, but I think that there'll be a long list of clubs in the Championship who'd be interested in Ross Stewart if he did become a free agent.

"I think he'd be one to consider, because you'd be hoping with a number of strikers we can rotate with us playing two up front as well. I think that if he did play alongside with Heggebo, Morgan, whoever it may be, I think that Albion could potentially have a really good selection of strikers next year."

James Morrison must make a move for compatriot Ross Stewart this summer at West Brom

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Having served the Baggies as a player for over 12 years, making 341 appearances across all competitions for the club, the Scot is set to continue his journey with the club in the technical area.

Morrison will face more pressure than ever to get things right at the Black Country outfit and restore the status quo by guiding them back to the top half of the Championship, and a strong summer window can help that.

The addition of Morgan is an exciting one, but having never played Championship football in his career, he does come with a risk, as Morrison must also consider making a move for Stewart to add some more second-tier experience to his ranks.

Stewart would almost certainly demand to start every game when fit, which would be a problem for Heggebo, though Morrison frequently played two up top during his tenure, and may continue to do so next season.

In that case, the 29-year-old would fit in well at the Hawthorns, as West Brom should look to make a move for the former Southampton man as soon as possible.