West Bromwich Albion missed out on a late summer transfer target, according to a new report.
West Brom failed with an approach to sign Everton hot prospect Harrison Armstrong on loan at the end of the summer transfer window.
The Baggies were eager to add Armstrong to their midfield contingent but were pipped to the post by Championship rivals Preston North End. West Brom still managed to enjoy a busy deadline day as they secured the loan signings of Samuel Iling Junior and Charlie Taylor from Aston Villa and Southampton, but they didn’t get the extra midfielder they desired.
Ryan Mason won’t be having too many complaints as it was still a strong summer window for West Brom. Nine new faces arrived at The Hawthorns, including Aune Heggebo, Nat Phillips, Alfie Gilchrist and Chris Mepham. The Baggies lost key players Tom Fellows and Torbjorn Heggem but their departures - for a combined £20 million - have eased concerns over a potential PSR breach.
West Brom miss out on midfielder signing
Journalist Alan Nixon, who reports - via his Patreon page - that West Brom were ‘fuming’ to miss out on signing Armstrong. It’s claimed Albion were confident of sealing the 18-year-old’s services for the season but were shocked to find out he had already agreed a move to Preston, who had swooped in ahead.
Championship sides are only allowed to loan three players from the Premier League, so Armstrong would have been an alternative to one of Iling Junior or Taylor, but it was still a blow to lose out. Armstrong has already made eight senior appearances for Everton at his tender age, notching three assists, two of which came in the recent 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Mansfield Town.
Preston profit from West Brom failure
Armstrong already has Championship experience as he made 15 appearances on loan at Derby County during the second half of last campaign. The England Under-19 international only scored one goal, but the main takeaway was getting used to the physicality of the English second tier.
Preston will be eager to help Armstrong progress this season as all parties aim to get the very best out of the loan. It will never be known which destination Everton would have preferred if West Brom and Preston made their offers at the same time, but a move to Deepdale could end up being a blessing in disguise.
It would have been trickier for Armstrong to force his way into the West Brom starting XI, you’d feel, as the Baggies already have Jayson Molumby and Alex Mowatt in the double pivot, whereas the mighty Isaac Price has been lining up in the number 10 role.
It probably would have been a straight fight with Manchester United loanee Toby Collyer to earn the odd start here and there, halting both players’ progress. At Preston, Ali McCann and Ben Whiteman and Stefan Thordarson are the regular starters in the centre of the park but their formation includes three central midfielders rather than two, so there’s an easier way in.
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