West Brom: January arrival should see Shilen Patel clear space on wage bill | OneFootball

As Albion announce their first arrival of the winter window, Patel can look to trim his wage bill and invest in more vital areas of the squad.

With the arrival of West Brom's first winter signing, one of Albion's summer recruits now seems surplus to requirements and could be used to finance further investment in the squad.

On January 18th, Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri announced via his X page that West Brom had rejuvenated their interest in summer target Isaac Price, and the Northern Irish international had chosen a move to the Midlands, beating out other Championship clubs in the process.

Tavolieri confirmed personal terms had been agreed with the Standard Liege midfielder, and Price finalised a move to The Hawthorns after a fee was agreed between the clubs.

With the announcement of Price pictured in the blue and white stripes, a coup of such calibre quickly raises questions about other midfielders' places in the squad, considering the wealth of options now available for Tony Mowbray's deployment.

Although the Northern Irishman is yet to register a single goal or assist this term, his underlying numbers offer a glimpse of the sort of profile fans can hope to see at The Hawthorns.

Price provides confidence to challenge the opposition and take up shooting areas that rank amongst the highest in the Jupiler Pro League - he is unfortunate his efforts have not been rewarded thus far. However, his expressive positivity aligns perfectly with Mowbray's repeated footballing philosophy, encouraging confidence to carry the ball forward and bravery to take on shooting opportunities.

Not only does Price's stats perfectly gear toward the delivery of this, but his age profile at only 21-year-old marks him as a prospect with the potential to be built around in the Baggies squad, with Mowbray historically demonstrating a preference for developing young talent.

Price's profile could spell the end of Albion's underwhelming Sassuolo loan

This arrival also opens the door for Mowbray and Patel to terminate the loan deal of Uros Racic, whose fall from favour has seen him suffer a drastic recent reduction in minutes.

Racic has been an unused substitute in West Brom's four previous outings and has failed to leave a lasting impression throughout his temporary term at The Hawthorns, as the Baggies have won just one out of the nine games he has started for the club.

Racic has registered two assists in his 20 appearances in the blue and white stripes thus far but has only managed to put together a consecutive spell of starts twice in the season, something that appears all the more unlikely with the arrival of Price in an area that is already filled with quality and calibre in the form of Jayson Molumby, Alex Mowatt and Ousmane Diakite.

As the Serbian squad player is the only one of these options available on a temporary term to Mowbray, Racic's development is unlikely to be prioritised over his permanent players in the position, especially considering the midfielder's difficulty adjusting to the pace of the league.

As evident from the table above, the struggling Serb has failed to come to grips with the speed of the second tier, being frequently caught out in midfield and has been unable to match the physical toll the league demands in both boxes, leaving Albion both nullified in attack and exposed on the counter, something that is unlikely to change with Mowbray's more advanced style.

Racic's removal could fund vital January fixes that must be found

With attention urgently needed towards the forward area of the pitch, Racic's estimated £15,000 weekly salary could therefore be saved as Shilen Patel seeks to add to Albion's attacking arsenal.

West Brom are without high-flying goalscorer, Josh Maja, for the foreseeable future and the Super Eagle's absence has immediately been felt as Albion appeared toothless in front of goal in their previous outing against Middlesbrough.

The Baggies' trip to The Riverside exposed the frailty of their forward options, with the Black Country side firing just one of their 14 attempts on target.

Although Mowbray's feelings towards the Serbian central midfielder remain unknown, his decision to bring on John Swift in the number eight role against Middlesbrough instead of Racic does not bode well with it only increasing the competition in the centre of the park.

Racic's £15,000 weekly salary could therefore be better served fuelling the forward area of the pitch, as multiple investments may be required in restoring Baggies' play-off place and the Serb's loan slot could be afforded to Patel to provide a genuine difference maker capable of causing a fast favour in their fortunes.