Morrison could make £8m Coventry target for his West Brom debutant

West Bromwich Albion have officially confirmed the appointment of James Morrison as their permanent manager after a temporary sacking.

The Baggies are on a 10-game unbeaten run under their former striker, who led the team out of the Championship play-off before deadline day.

It’s a risky move for the club after their two inexperienced signings, Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay, were both sacked this season, and it remains to be seen whether or not Morrison can sustain long-term success.

The Scotland boss has no previous experience as a first-team manager and the Baggies will be hoping their current run of form is more than a flash in the pan.

It will be Morrison’s first transfer window as manager this summer, and there is clearly room for strengthening in the squad.

West Brom’s first team James Morrison must strengthen

The new West Brom manager must target natural wide players when the summer transfer window opens, so that attacking midfielders and central midfielders, such as Isaac Price and Jayson Molumby do not have to play there every week.

Mike Johnston, who has scored two goals and provided nine assists in 34 Championship games this season, will return from injury next term, but the Baggies need more than just him to push for promotion.

West Brom’s forwards haven’t produced enough consistent quality for the attack to be considered successful, which is why the club ranks fifth in the division with fewest goals scored.

Only four teams have scored fewer goals than the Baggies going into the last game of the Championship season, further highlighting the need for Morrison to strengthen the attack this summer.

Thankfully, the club have already been linked with an interest in a star who could arrive at The Hawthorns as Morrison’s version of Harvey Barnes.

West Brom target who could be next Harvey Barnes

The now Newcastle star scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 28 appearances on loan at West Brom in the 2018/19 campaign, as a left-footed striker.

SportsBoom recently reported that West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough are the two teams fighting to sign Charleroi winner Parfait Guiagon in next summer’s transfer window.

The report claims that the Belgian club value him at around £8m (or £7.7m to be exact), and it remains to be seen whether the Baggies can compete at that level financially.

If West Brom can secure a deal to make him the first signing of Morrison’s tenure, Guiagon could emerge as coach Barnes with his ability to score goals and assist goals regularly.

As mentioned above, Johnston has consistently provided assists, but has struggled to score on a week-to-week basis. That is why the Baggies need a striker who can provide a threat as a scorer and goal creator.

There is no player in the current team as they used to with Barnes, which is why Guiagon could be the perfect first player for Morrison to fix an important issue for the team in the wide department.

The Ivory Coast striker, who can play on the left or as a number ten, has shown that he can score and assist goals in almost equal measure, with 15 goals and 12 assists in the Pro League since the start of last season.

Bringing in a potential match-winner with goals and assists like Guiagon could be just what Morrison needs to make his defensively strong West Brom side, who have kept five consecutive clean sheets in the league, competitive in the next round.

If the Baggies can improve their attacking output while remaining solid defensively, they will be an incredibly difficult team to knock off in the Championship next season.