West Brom winger Tom Fellows has been linked with an Everton move once again, but a sale must be a big one to give it the green light.
After an impressive campaign from West Brom’s academy graduate, it would not come as a surprise to WBA supporters to see Fellows linked with a move to the Premier League.
The 21-year-old, who is currently away on international duty with England’s U21s, was one of the standout wingers in the division. He ended the season with the joint-most assists in the Championship, alongside Portsmouth’s Josh Murphy, with a tally 14 assists and an additional four goals.
WBA - West Brom star Tom Fellows
Image courtesy of: MATTHEW CHILDS/ACTION IMAGES via REUTERS.
After Fellows initially broke into the West Brom side at the halfway point of the 2023/24 campaign, Baggies fans will know it is a matter of time until he departs to make his mark in the Premier League after they failed to get into the top flight.
The WBA youngster has been constantly linked with a move away in the two previous transfer windows, including in January when a move to Everton was rumoured to be in the pipeline.
While being resigned to lose their prized asset, supporters will be hoping that they will be able to get a sizable fee for an English youngster who has impressed in the second-tier over the last 18 months. While Ryan Mason will not want to lose one of his best players, the sale of Fellows could hold the key to an opportunity to revamp the squad.
Most recently, TEAMtalk reported that Everton would be reigniting their interest with a £10m move in the pipeline.
Despite not expecting to go into the 2025/26 with Fellows still a WBA player, fans would have every right to feel that the reported fee of just £10m would be on the cheaper side for a youngster of his quality.
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West Brom should point towards recent Ipswich Town signings as the benchmark
There have been several big-money transfers where players in the second-tier of English football have left for pastures new, and West Brom must look to these as a guide.
Last summer, Ipswich Town looked to bolster their survival chances by bringing top Championship talent to the club. The Tractor Boys moved to sign Jack Clarke for £15m, plus £5m in add ons.
They were initially unsuccessful with their attempts to bring Jaden Philogene to the club when Aston Villa matched Ipswich’s offer of £18, thanks to a clause inserted when he initially moved to Hull City from Villa in the season prior.
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west brom, West Brom must demand more than rumoured £10m fee as Premier League club eye top asset: Opinion
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However, they were finally able to bring Philogene to Portman Road in January for a fee in the region of £20m.
When teams start to enquire for Fellows signature this summer, those at The Hawthorns should have these transfers in mind if West Brom are to allow their youngster leave in the next few months.
In a strong negotiating position
West Brom supporters have seen plenty of key players leave in the last 12 months. Last year, the likes of Okay Yokuslu, Conor Townsend and Brandon Thomas-Asante all left with their contracts due to expire at the end of the season.
In addition, Alex Palmer also left in January to Ipswich Town with the club opting to cash in with 18 months left on his deal.
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As a result of these departures, WBA will not be in a position where they are scrambling to find ways to raise funds. While sales should not be ruled out before the end of the window, it should mean that despite Fellows being expected to leave – it should be above the rumoured £10m.