West Brom battling Ipswich to sign their biggest talent since Fellows

The pace of change in the Championship remains truly remarkable, with West Bromwich Albion aware of that more than most.

Looking back to 2023/24, for instance, the Baggies reached the playoffs following a respectable fifth-place finish, with Ipswich Town and Leicester City promoted automatically.

Just two years on, Leicester are League One bound, Ipswich are set for another bite of the Premier League cherry and West Brom only staved off relegation by the barest of margins, following the failed experiments with Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay.

With James Morrison now at the helm, the Midlands side can start to build again, with a raft of personnel changes seemingly needed at first-team level.

Indeed, the struggling outfit are still seeking to fill the void left behind by young Tom Fellows a year ago, with the 23-year-old’s sale still likely to sting for the Baggies.

Why Fellows is still such a big miss for the Baggies

Recognised as West Brom’s Young Player of the Year in both 2023/24 and 2024/25, Fellows was a real shining light after emerging from the youth ranks, with his absence still keenly felt.

Last season, in particular, proved a true breakout year for the Birmingham-born winger, having scored four times and registered a remarkable 14 assists in the Championship, starting 35 games in all.

The undoubted creative hub at the Hawthorns, Fellows created 13 ‘big chances’ in all and averaged 1.4 key passes per game, a stunning return considering he only lost the ball 7.4 times per game on average, boasting a stellar 87% pass accuracy rate.

For comparison, in 2025/26, no player reached double figures for assists in the Baggies squad, with Mikey Johnston leading the way in that regard with nine.

The former Celtic man also topped the charts at the club with regard to ‘big chances’ created (11) and key passes per game (1.6), albeit while only bettering Fellows in that latter metric.

Johnston’s own future is now up for debate, with the Baggies having previously been forced into selling Fellows on an £8m deal to Southampton, in order to comply with PSR regulations.

A necessary yet frustrating sale it proved, it must be said, although Morrison and co could finally replace the promising winger with a move of their own this summer.

West Brom could sign their biggest talent since Fellows ahead of Ipswich

As reported earlier this week, West Brom are just one of the clubs to have registered their interest in Huddersfield Town sensation, Cameron Ashia, suggesting that talks have been held over a potential move.

Ipswich, alongside the likes of Southampton and Sheffield United, are also in the mix too, as are Celtic and Rangers, with Ashia seemingly up for grabs for a fee of just £500k, even after receiving a 12-month contract extension.

Still only 21, the fleet-footed talent is earning rave reviews following a promising, breakout season in League One, having even been likened to Manchester City star, Jeremy Doku, such is his sky-high potential.

It’s not been an easy route to this level either for the youngster, with Ashia released by Derby County in 2023, having not joined the Terriers until April 2024, initially lining up in the club’s ‘B’ team.

He’s had to bide his time, having actually only started four league games in 2025/26, although there’s been enough to get excited about, as is clear by the level of interest in him.

Typically deployed off the left flank, yet comfortable in the centre or off the right, Ashia is certainly versatile, like Fellows, while boasting an encouraging end product to match.

Indeed, from just 21 league appearances, and an average of 32 minutes per game this season, he certainly took his chance, scoring and assisting three goals apiece

That record is not too dissimilar to Fellows’ own tally during 2023/24, as he scored and assisted seven times, after previously laying on only two assists the year prior while on loan in League Two at Crawley Town.

He’s certainly risen since then, and there’s no reason why the Doku-esque Ashia can’t enjoy a similar ascent, with there so much to like about his fearless dribbling prowess and knack for cutting in onto his favoured right foot.

Clubs, as they were prior to Fellows’ exit a year ago, are queuing up to prise the Englishman from Huddersfield, with the Baggies needing to ensure they are at the front of the queue.

Of course, the likes of Ipswich might be able to tempt Ashia with the prospect of Premier League football, yet West Brom could present a clear pathway and perhaps more realistic game time in the second tier.

After a stodgy season at the Hawthorns, this could be a truly exciting deal for Morrison’s side, as they seek to secure what could be their biggest talent since Fellows.