West Brom’s Championship woes have continued even past the sacking of Valerien Ismail, dropping points in three of the club’s last five and winning just three games since the turn of the year.
Just seven teams in the entire division have scored less than their total of 42 goals for the season – a terrible return for a club expected to bounce straight back up to the Premier League after being relegated at the end of the last season.
To make matters worse, Baggies academy graduate Tyler Roberts looks like he could remain in the top flight for another season with Leeds, after joining the club from West Brom back in 2018 for £2.5m – once again proving to them that they shouldn’t have sold him for so little.
Now worth £7.2m according to Transfermarkt, the Wales International remained part of Leeds’ plans under new manager Jesse Marsch, until he suffered an injury earlier in the month which ruled him out for the rest of the season.
He is also being tipped for a summer exit by the likes of journalist Dean Jones, who said: “You do get the feeling that his position is one of those that will be targeted in the summer to be strengthened.”
Despite that update, he could still be a valuable asset to a newly promoted Premier League team, and still has plenty of talent left to offer to his next club – which will likely not be West Brom due to their poor standing in the Championship right now.
The 23-year-old has previously been name-dropped by Spain manager Luis Enrique as one of Wales’ biggest threats, saying: “They have good, young players, like Tyler Roberts, and we know it will not be easy.”
Among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions, Roberts ranks in the top 4% for pressures in the attacking third per 90 (5.75), top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (4.06) and top 6% for carries into the penalty area per 90 (0.55) – evidence that he can still compete in the top flight and be a solid option for teams in the lower half of the top-flight.
With great energy, work rate and attitude, the 19-time Wales international could have been a star at Albion, if they gave him more of a chance and a larger role within the squad – and now they are suffering the consequences while Roberts has become a Premier League level player.
In other news: Disaster: Ismael could now inflict even more misery on West Brom this summer
