Looming crisis for West Brom as six players set for exits - including £15m attacker & Portsmouth-linked winger

The summer transfer window recently came to a close, putting an end to a frantic few months of activity. That doesn’t mean all transfer business will come to a complete halt, however, as West Brom have plenty to consider ahead of the next two windows.

As is the case for every club, the transfer business never fully sleeps at West Brom. The recruitment team - whether that be director of football Andrew Nestor, the scouting network or the analysts - are working behind the scenes all year round.

Albion have just completed a decent squad overhaul, and the season has only just begun, but there’s already plenty to think about for the end of the campaign as six players are out of contract. It was enough of a headache to see four go at the end of 2024/25, so taking the number to half a dozen really throws the cat amongst the pigeons.

Six West Brom contracts expiring

Of the six on track to leave, only one has the option to extend their contract for a further 12 months. All of the other five see their current deals expire on June 30, 2026, so a crisis could be looming if West Brom don’t address the situation soon.

Josh Maja

The player on this list with the highest current market value, Maja will leave Albion at the end of the campaign unless a new deal is offered. As the Baggies signed him for nothing, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he left for such, but it still wouldn’t be ideal to lose a striker of his calibre. Maja, who has suffered several injury setbacks, has scored 13 goals in 41 games.

Daryl Dike

Another striker, Dike is on track to depart The Hawthorns. West Brom reportedly paid a fee of £7 million for Dike back in 2022 but he hasn’t been worth that. The United States international has had a horrendous time with injuries and the last time he played more than 250 Championship minutes in a season was back in 2022/23.

Karlan Grant

The versatile attacker has been in and out of the team under Ryan Mason but he was an important player last season. Birmingham World understands West Brom paid £15 million for Grant, including add-ons, so it’d be a huge blow to lose him for nothing. It was a similar case with Grady Diangana at the start of the summer just gone.

Joe Wildsmith

Backup goalkeeper Wildsmith has played just 13 times for the Baggies since joining from Derby County in 2024. The 29-year-old once clinched the League One Golden Glove award but he has failed to impress in an Albion shirt. There’s still time to change that, but it will be tricky as he’s fallen behind Josh Griffiths in the pecking order.

Jed Wallace

Albion’s skipper is on track to move on at the end of the campaign. Wallace was linked with a move to Portsmouth ahead of the recent summer transfer window, though there was never anything concrete to suggest he’d make the move. Wallace’s involvement at West Brom has certainly lessened in the last 12 months or so.

Ousmane Diakite

Concluding with the one player on this list who has the option for a further year, Diakite is probably the most likely to stay as a result. The Malian is yet to properly establish himself at The Hawthorns, however, and all parties may decide an amicable divorce is the best solution. It really depends how the current season goes.