West Brom's January transfer shortlist: Leicester City star and Max Aarons should be among those on it | OneFootball

FLW outline three players West Brom should have on their transfer shortlist ahead of the January transfer window.

West Bromwich Albion were active in the summer transfer market as Carlos Corberan looks to build a team that can win promotion after their play-off heartbreak last season.

West Brom were aiming to be a play-off side during the 2023/24 season after falling just short last time out, and the minimum aim is the same again this term following their semi-final defeat to Southampton. That's despite the fact their preparations for the Championship campaign being somewhat hamstrung by ongoing issues behind the scenes.

Previous owner Guochuan Lai's ownership of the club made Carlos Corberan's achievements last season even more impressive, but there is renewed optimism despite the EFL's involvement in the day-to-day operations and the transfers the club can make with their ongoing business plan.

In the circumstances, the Spaniard has done an outstanding job since his appointment, transforming Albion from a side that was struggling to one that has been pushing for promotion, although they fell short over two legs against Southampton back in May.

The club's business in the market has evidently been impacted when the club sought loans and free transfers, predominantly during the last few windows. That's highlighted just how much spending has been cut back, but they may require further investment in some capacity this January if they are to remain competitive right at the top of the table.

So with that in mind, we've taken a look at some players that they should be keeping tabs on and scouting ahead of the January transfer window in the meantime.

Tom Cannon

A player that West Brom are already tracking and seemingly eyeing a move for in January is Stoke City's Leicester City loanee, Tom Cannon. He was hot property during the summer transfer window, with a host of Championship clubs linked with the Leicester striker.

It was Stoke who landed the Republic of Ireland international on a season-long loan. The forward has already made headlines recently by scoring four goals in the Potters' dismantling of Portsmouth. Despite that, Leicester possess a recall clause in the loan agreement, as reported by Alan Nixon.

The reported clause means that Leicester could look to cash-in on Cannon in January, with West Brom one of the clubs credited with interest. They will no doubt be closely eyeing his situation come January. Although the Republic of Ireland international could forge a seriously good partnership with Josh Maja, his price tag is set at £7 million.

That's according to The Sun, and it's unclear if the Baggies would be able to stump up the required cash. Even though they have a number of strikers on their books, none are as young or with as high of a ceiling as a player like Cannon, which is why there are so many Championship clubs eyeing a move for him.

Ethan Erhahon

With Jayson Molumby and John Swift out of contract next summer, Uros Racic in on loan, and just Alex Mowatt and Ousmane Diakite contracted beyond 2025, West Brom need to look into future-proofing their midfield area, with very few young, long-term assets to speak of.

West Brom are reportedly keeping tabs on Lincoln City midfielder Ethan Erhahon, who is attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs as he has evidently proven himself to be far too good for League One football. The latest comes from TBR, who state that West Brom are one of four second tier sides weighing up a move for Erhahon ahead of the January transfer window, along with Burnley, Norwich City, and Hull City.

Erhahon joined the Imps last January from Scottish side St Mirren, and he enjoyed an outstanding campaign last season as Michael Skubala's men narrowly missed out on the play-offs in League One. The 23-year-old was recognised for his impressive performances as he won both the Players' Player and Fans' Player of the Season awards last term, and Skubala described him as "the best number six in the league by a mile".

Of course, he must be guaranteed regular game time if he does make the step up to the Championship in January, and that will likely be a big factor in his mind on who to join. He is capable of performing in the second tier, and needs the opportunity to join a Championship club, particularly one with realistic promotion ambitions such as West Brom, which would surely prove to be tempting for Erhahon.

Max Aarons

Although West Brom have other midfielders and central defenders who can cover at right-back if required, Darnell Furlong is the only specialist right-back at the club. Even though he is a solid and reliable performer at second tier level, he either needs some competition or a long-term option to usurp him at some stage in the coming transfer windows.

Max Aarons could be a potential solution, due to a lack of regular game time with Bournemouth, which could make him available for loan in the winter window. His quality is undeniable at Championship level, and he also has experience of playing at left-back and vital know-how of getting promotion as well.

Aarons is more athletic than Furlong and a real width-holder, whilst he could profile well for a progressive full-back if paired with a more defensive-minded opposing full-back, be that Furlong or Torbjorn Heggem. The best period of his short career came in the Championship, whilst with Norwich City, and Corberan could help revitalise a stalling last few years for the 24-year-old.

Should he perform well, he could be one of the best players in the right-back position in the league and could be a great long-term right-back for the club if he impresses on an initial loan and they are promoted. If he can get back fit and hit the ground running, Aarons could, and should, be on the shortlist of a number of Championship sides, and it would be negligence for the Baggies to ignore the possibility of a versatile and high-quality full-back.