West Brom: Potential Tom Fellows exit must act as Mikey Johnston trigger | OneFootball

The former loanee has not hit the same heights since returning to the Baggies permanently

West Brom have hit some worrying form in their latest attempt to win promotion from the Championship to the Premier League this season.

The Baggies started the current campaign in excellent form, winning five of their first six league games, and going unbeaten in that period.

That run had put them top of the early standings, although things have somewhat changed since then, with Carlos Corberan's side now failing to win any of their last six games.

Indeed, they have only even scored three times in that run of matches, and as a result they have slipped to fifth in the current table.

However, that dip in form is perhaps not the only worrying thing for West Brom right now, with the latest claims around the future of Tom Fellows also likely to be a concern for the Baggies.

Everton interested in West Brom winger

Having established himself as a first-team regular at The Hawthorns last season, Fellows was the subject of plenty of interest in the summer.

Newly promoted Premier League duo Ipswich Town and Southampton, both had bids rejected for the 21-year-old, who has instead remained with Corberan's side.

He has become an even more important player for the club in the coming campaign, as a near ever-present in the side.

That though, means he is continuing to generate interest from the top-flight, with Everton now said to be keen on a move for the West Brom man in the January transfer window.

As interest continues to emerge in Fellows, and he continues to improve, there is a good chance it will become even harder for the Baggies to retain the attacker.

There is an argument that if the 21-year-old is to leave at the turn of the year, West Brom will need to look to get more from one of their summer signings, than they have so far this season.

Mikey Johnston may need to step up for Carlos Corberan's side

Back in the January transfer window, the Baggies completed the signing of Celtic winger Mikey Johnston on loan for the second-half of the 2023/24 season.

That would prove to be an inspired signing, with Johnston scoring seven goals - many spectacular - and providing two assists in 20 appearances for the club during his loan spell.

In doing so, he made himself hugely popular at The Hawthorns, meaning it did seem to be something of a coup when the club brought him back permanently in the summer.

West Brom reportedly paid Celtic £3million to secure the services of the winger, who signed a four-year deal that ties him to the club until the end of the 2027/28 season.

Since then however, Johnston has rather struggled to replicate the form he produced for the Baggies last season.

While he has featured in eight of the nine games Corberan's side have played since he returned, only two of those outings have come as a starter.

That would suggest he is not doing enough to convince the Spaniard he is worthy of a spot in the XI, and he has struggled to influence games so far.

Indeed, the winger is still yet to score or provide an assist for West Brom since he moved to The Hawhtorns on a permanent basis.

As a result, there will surely be an expectation that if Fellows is to move on at the turn of the year, Johnston will step up.

Should the Everton target move on, the Baggies will need options who can have a similar influence out wide, and the 25-year-old showed during his loan spell last year he can do that.

After this slow start to life as a permanent West Brom player, Johnston himself may also see such a void opening up, as a chance for him to make that spot in the side his own.

He will no doubt be desperate to do so, given he will have expected to be a key player on his return to The Hawthorns.

If he is unable to make such an impact, then it could also push the Baggies into the transfer market to find a replacement for Fellows instead.

Not only could that make it harder for the Irishman to get game time, but having to spend again would also be frustrating for the club, given what they recently invested in the 25-year-old.

With all that in mind, it therefore seems as though that speculation around the future of Fellows, has given West Brom another reason to keep an eye on Johnston's own performances going forward.