How West Brom insiders reacted to the sale of Tom Fellows to Southampton on deadline day after previous Everton links
West Brom lost one of their standout performers from last season in a blockbuster £10m deal
West Brom fans were forced to wave goodbye to one of their hottest prospects in recent seasons when England Under-21 international Tom Fellows completed a £10m switch to Championship rivals Southampton on deadline day.
Fellows had played in four of West Brom’s five matches across all competitions this season and also registered his first assist of the campaign during a 3-2 win over Wrexham in matchday two, but it had ultimately done very little to silence the constant speculation surrounding the 22-year-old’s future at the Hawthorns.
Interest in Fellows came as no surprise to supporters. The winger had managed a league-leading 14 assists in the Championship last term for a very average West Brom squad and had also chipped in with four goals. He’d won the club’s Young Player of the Season award in back-to-back campaigns and had played a role in helping England Under-21 become European champions.
However, the timing of Fellows’ exit and the decision to sell him so late in the window to a direct Championship promotion rival definitely left a sour taste in the mouth of many supporters, who feel this sale could prove costly in the weeks and months ahead
West Brom’s thoughts on Tom Fellows sale
EFL Analysis chief correspondent Graeme Bailey claims West Brom always had a feeling Tom Fellows would leave, adding that the decision to sell him was seen as a necessary one for the benefit of the club.
He explained:” It’s not ideal, obviously, especially losing them to a fellow Championship side. A lot of these Championship teams, even the ones who can spend a little bit like West Brom, it’s not ideal losing him so late in the window.
“But it is one that West Brom thought was coming. Could they have done more after that? Possibly. But it’s just one of those things. It was always going to be unlikely that they were able to keep him.”
Could West Brom have sold Tom Fellows for more money?
Throughout the summer, it had been speculated that Everton would try and entice Tom Fellows to the Premier League. The Toffees were reported to have agreed personal terms with the winger in January, but the move never materialised due to a gap in valuation with some reports suggesting that a £15m had been knocked back during the winter window.
The Express & Star reported in July that David Moyes was a fan of the winger but stated that Southampton, who played in the top-flight last term were the only club to make an official offer at the time.
The Saints brought Fellows in for £10m in the end while they also completed the signing of Finn Azaz from league leaders Middlesbrough as they play catch up on the two leading clubs in the division after four matches.