West Brom ‘pushing hard’ to win transfer race for in-demand left-back also on Southampton’s radar
Managerless West Bromwich Albion have a pivotal summer ahead in Shilen and Dr Kiran C Patel’s rebuild, and the first domino could be about to fall in the transfer market with the Baggies apparently winning the race for a top target.
Albion require upgrades across the board after faltering badly in the wake of Carlos Corboran’s move to Valencia as the Baggies slumped ninth and fourth points off the playoffs, with defence now arguably the highest priority.
West Brom will enter the 2025/26 season without dependable centre-backs Semi Ajayi (released) and Mason Holgate (returned to Everton after loan spell) but must also reinforce the full-back positions if they’re to carry over their impressive defensive record from this campaign.
And Hearts’ 26-year-old left back James Penrice has been identified as a top target for in a position that predominantly featured natural midfielder Callum Styles at The Hawthorns in the 2024/25 season.
West Brom locked in battle with Southampton for Penrice
As Albion continue their search for their next manager, their transfer business continues apparently unabated with the outgoing Tony Mowbray revealing a disconnect in recruitment between the boss and the board.
Director of sport Ian Pearce is certainly showing no signs of slowing down according to EFL Analysis, who report the Baggies are fighting tooth and nail with Southampton to capture Penrice. The Saints will automatically be installed as one of the favourites for promotion to the Premier Legaue in 2026, backed to follow in the footsteps of Leicester City, Burnley and potentially Sheffield United in recent years after their own bounce-back 12 months ago.
So it’s an uphill battle for Pearce, but one that he seems to be winning with Albion tipped to sign Penrice as Hearts begin the search for a replacement left-back.
Who is James Penrice?
Penrice has more than earned his stripes north of the border, racking up over a century of appearances in the Scottish Premiership for Hearts, Livingston and Partick Thistle.
He’s shown progression in each of his three seasons since becoming a mainstay of his hometown team in the 2021/22 season particularly going forward, finishing this campaign with a career-best two goals and seven assists.
Standing at 5”10’, Penrice is the perfect build for a Championship full-back and would looks set to be a solid next step as West Brom continue to recover from the almost catastrophic ownership tenure of Guochan Lai.
