West Bromwich Albion went into the summer transfer window knowing that they would have to invest money in reinforcements for their attack.
The Baggies only scored 48 goals in 46 matches in the Championship in the 2025/26 campaign, which was one of the main reasons why they ended up finishing 21st in the division.
James Morrison’s side narrowly avoided relegation down to League One and failed to score in three of their last six games of the season, highlighting the lack of threat they carried at the top end of the pitch.
The club needed an injection of quality in the final third to ensure that they have enough firepower to push for promotion to the Premier League next term.
They were quick out of the traps to bring in centre-forward Barney Stewart on a permanent deal from Falkirk and Jimmy-Jay Morgan from Chelsea.
Where Jimmy-Jay Morgan could play for West Bromwich Albion
Morgan is an intriguing signing for the Baggies because they have brought him in on a permanent basis from the Premier League giants, and there are several positions that he is capable of playing.
Morrison typically deployed a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formation after taking the reins from Eric Ramsay at The Hawthorns last term, but most teams that earn promotion tend to play with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system so that they can dominate possession and control midfield.
With this in mind, the Scottish tactician may want to build towards a 4-2-3-1 system rather than a 4-4-2 set-up, which is why the former Chelsea youngster could slot in as a number ten for the Baggies.
|
Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s youth and senior career |
|
|---|---|
|
Position |
Appearances |
|
CF |
54 |
|
AM |
34 |
|
RW |
6 |
|
LW |
2 |
|
LM |
1 |
|
RM |
1 |
|
SS |
1 |
Morgan is capable of playing as a centre-forward or as a number ten, but the signing of Stewart and the presence of Aune Heggebo suggests that he is not likely to play many minutes as an out-and-out number nine.
Therefore, the English ace, who scored 14 goals in 39 games on loan at Peterborough United last term, could be Morrison’s go-to option in the attacking midfield position in a 4-2-3-1 set-up.
Whilst the 20-year-old whiz looks like a promising talent who could be a key player for the Baggies, the club must still rue the fact that they lost a far better number ten for nothing five years ago.
West Brom lost a better player than Jimmy-Jay Morgan for nothing
It still remains to be seen how Morgan will adapt to the Championship after he scored 12 goals and provided three assists in 34 matches in League One during the 2025/26 campaign.
Meanwhile, a former West Brom academy talent produced more goal involvements for another team in the Championship last term, five years on from leaving the club for nothing.
Finn Azaz came up through the Baggies’ academy system before leaving at the end of his contract to sign for Aston Villa on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.
|
Finn Azaz’s career since leaving West Brom |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Season (Club) |
Goals |
Assists |
|
25/26 (Middlesbrough/Southampton) |
12 |
8 |
|
24/25 (Middlesbrough) |
12 |
11 |
|
23/24 (Plymouth/Middlesbrough) |
11 |
10 |
|
22/23 (Plymouth Argyle) |
8 |
9 |
|
21/22 (Newport County) |
7 |
7 |
After loan spells with Newport County and Plymouth, the Ireland international joined Plymouth on a permanent deal from Villa and subsequently signed for Middlesbrough and Southampton in the Championship in recent years.
The Saints paid a fee of £12m to sign Azaz from Boro in the summer transfer window last year after his haul of 23 goal contributions in the 2024/25 campaign in all competitions.
He followed that up with 11 goals, 15 ‘big chances’ created, and eight assists in the Championship in the 2025/26 season, showing his consistent quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals from an attacking midfield position.
Azaz is one of the best number tens in the second tier at the moment, because he now has multiple seasons of consistent performances in the final third, and will be expected to be one of the top performers in his position yet again next term.
The 25-year-old star produced more goal contributions (19) in the Championship than Morgan managed in League One (15), which suggests that he is the much better player in the present.
It, therefore, remains a shame that the Baggies were unable to convince him to pen a new contract at The Hawthorns after he had racked up 16 goals and nine assists in 85 appearances for the club’s U18s and U21s combined.
He opted to try his luck at Villa and was ultimately sold to Plymouth in the lower tiers before working his way back up through Middlesbrough and Southampton, when he could have come through in the Championship with West Brom.
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West Bromwich Albion must join Southampton in the race to sign this forward in the summer transfer window.
Hopefully, Morgan will kick on and develop during his time at West Brom and go on to be an even better player than Azaz in the future, whilst the Irishman has the edge for now.