West Brom run rule over Everton and Wolves stars as player says goodbye to club

West Brom are running the rule over two Everton and Wolves centre-backs according to a report.

Sister outlet Express & Star have said that Everton's Ed Jones and Wolves teenager Muhamed Diomande played for the under-21s on Monday night. Jones played the first half and then was replaced by Diomande for the second period.

Jones sees his contract at Goodison Park expire this summer and his appearance for the Baggies does hint at a move away. The 19-year-old has played 10 times in the Premier League 2 for the Merseyside club this season.

As for Diomande, he has been at West Brom's Black Country rivals Wolves since July 2022. He has been playing in the Under-18 Premier League this season appearing eight times.

Both players ended up being on the winning team as Richard Beale's side rounded off their campaign with a 4-2 win over Leeds United. First-team player Josh Maja scored a brace in the first-half as he continued his recovery from an ankle injury. Fenton Heard and Harry Whitwell were also on target as West Brom finished 21st out of 26th.

For what comes next for both Jones and Diomande, their appearances aren't the rarity at this stage of the campaign. Most young players are told in advance if they have a future at the club and if not then they are free to speak to other teams to help give them enough time to prepare to the big changes that they face at a young age.

In other news, academy goalkeeper Ronnie Hollingshead has said his goodbye to Alvechurch. The 19-year-old joined the Southern Premier outfit on loan in January and had his second taste of senior football after a loan spell with Hednesford last year.

He said in a tweet: “Massive thank you to everyone involved at Alvechurch, the fans, staff and players. I wish the club all the best for the future.”

Hereford-born Hollingshead has been capped 11 times for Wales from under-15 to under-21s level. He is under contract at the Hawthorns until the summer of 2025. Before leaving for Alvechurch in January, he played six times in the Premier League 2, keeping one clean sheet.