West Brom sign Man United full-back and Brighton gem in bold new January transfer window prediction

West Bromwich Albion have been one of the top 30 teams in English football ever since 2001, including five promotions and 13 seasons in the Premier League, but it will be a surprise if they can extend that to a full quarter-century given their struggles this campaign.

That 3-1 loss to Southampton in the Championship playoffs 18 months ago is looking more and more like a major sliding doors moment for the club as they’re looking closer to League One than the Premier League with

Letting 14 players go at the start of summer certainly hasn’t helped. Nat Phillips, Chris Mepham and George Campbell have all racked up plenty of minutes at the back but The Baggies have one of the worse defensive records in the Championship so they’re effectiveness is still up for debate.

Meanwhile Aune Heggebo has been a rare ray of light at the top of the pitch but the rest of those summer arrivals have failed to win fans over and the club will need to show some ambition in the January transfer window to shore up their Championship status for the 2026/27 season.

So with that in mind, we fired up Football Manager 26 to see who might be headed to The Hawthorns in winter and this is what it predicted.

Who could West Brom sign in January?

Harry Amass - loan from Manchester United - The full-back has played 98% of possible minutes for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship but could probably develop more with The Baggies and could improve their left flank in and out of possession.

Tommy Watson - loan from Brighton & Hove Albion - The 19-year-old would be unlikely to score the winner in the Championship play-off final again this year but he could help West Brom’s chance creation - he recorded 12 goal contributions for Sunderland last season.

Javier Aquino - £400,000 from Tigres - The defender is vastly experienced, having made over 600 senior appearance, but aged 35 it remains to be seen how much he could offer in English football. The only club football he’s played outside Mexico is a few LaLiga seasons over a decade ago, though he’s also reached his half-century for Mexico. FM26 also predicts West Brom sign Mofe Jemide on a nominal fee from Crystal Palace

Styles’ departure a major blow

Callum Styles - loan to Debrecen - Losing Styles would be a major blow to Mason given the Hungary international has been one of the few standout players at the Hawthorns this season - at least amongst the players wearing a West Brom shirt. According to this prediction, he’s loaned to the side that are flying high in the Nemzeti Bajnoksag I, the top tier of Hungarian football.

Ollie Bostock - loan to Aldershot - Bostock has made his league debut for The Baggies but doesn’t look set to make a big impact for the remainder of the season and heads to greater London in search of game time. Deago Nelson to Barrow, Jamal Mohammed and Joe Wallis both head to Chelmsford, Layton Love leaves for Dorking, and Miller McDonald is off to AFC Telford on loan.