Why West Brom must face Southampton to sign their new Tom Fellows

West Bromwich Albion have been quick out of the gates in the summer transfer window in an attempt to improve their squad for the Championship season.

A 21st-place finish in the Championship in the 2025/26 campaign was not enough for the Baggies, which is why they sacked Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay.

James Morrison is now in full charge after leading the team at the end of last season, and has moved to strengthen his options at the other end of the pitch.

West Brom scored just 48 goals in 46 Championship games last season, more than one per game, and have failed to score in three of their last six games.

They have signed midfielder Barney Stewart on a permanent deal from Falkirk and attacking midfielder Jimmy-Jay Morgan from Premier League side Chelsea.

Why West Brom need the next Tom Fellows

Stewart and Morgan combined for 32 goals in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign, with the Scotland striker scoring 18 goals for Dunfermline and Falkirk, with the latter scoring 14 goals on loan at Peterborough United.

It’s no use signing killer goals, however, without the players playing to create the chances they need to score, which is why West Brom need to find their next Tom Fellows.

No player has created more ‘big chances’ (13) or provided more assists (14) in the league for the Baggies since the England striker left to sign for Southampton for £10m in the summer of 2025.

Fellows topped the Championship charts for assists in the 2024/25 campaign for West Brom, alongside Josh Murphy, with no player from the club able to double last season.

Therefore, the Baggies should be in the market to add more talent to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window, to ensure that Morgan and Stewart are not left starving for service at The Hawthorns next term.

West Brom must challenge Southampton for a World Cup star

With that in mind, the club must look to challenge Southampton in signing the star who is looking to replace Fellows.

It is reported that the Saints are in the race with the Scottish giants, Celtic and Rangers, to get a deal for the right midfielder of Motherwell, Elijah Just, who was in the World Cup with New Zealand.

The left-footed star caught the eye with his form in the Premiership last season and was described as “the best player in the league” in Scotland by national team manager Darren Bazeley.

Like Fellows, Just is a left-footed player who plays on the right side and always seems to create chances for his team-mates, as evidenced by his 11 ‘big chances’ in the league last season.

No West Brom player has managed more than 11 ‘big chances’ created in the Championship, despite having eight more games in the Premiership, which speaks to the creative quality of the New Zealand international.

While Stewart and Morgan have the design skills they will need, Just is also an impressive goalscorer who can provide a threat in the final third with his shooting ability, as evidenced by three goals in three World Cup games. Because of this, Kiwi journalist Michael Burgess revealed that there are “big teams” who want to sign him.

New Zealand, unfortunately, were eliminated from the group stage after picking up one point from three games, but the player scored twice against Iran and got a goal against Belgium.

He has the quality to provide a dual threat at the other end of the pitch with goals and creativity on the right, which is why he will be such a strong addition to Morrison’s squad this summer.

He could be the new Fellows of the club and the helpers they can provide on the right side, creating opportunities for Stewart and Morgan on a regular basis, which is why he should challenge Southampton for his signature in the coming weeks.