Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion could reportedly lose exciting young forward Rayhaan Tulloch to Premier League neighbours Aston Villa.
You could build a Championship winning frontline out of the young players who have either been let go or pinched from West Bromwich Albion’s grasp over the last few years.
Chris Wood, Kemar Roofe, Izzy Brown and Tyler Roberts all started their careers at the Baggies and that’s without mentioning Marcus Forss, the Finland goal-machine who has found the net every 96 minutes since joining Wimbledon on loan from Brentford in the summer.
Earlier this year, meanwhile, West Brom lost Morgan Rogers to Manchester City and Louie Barry to Barcelona. And with the January transfer window creaking open, the vultures are circling once again.
And while no one was pleased to see Rogers or the dazzling Barry spirited away from the Hawthorns long before they were handed their first-team debuts, losing Rayhaan Tulloch to their bitter rivals from down the road would be another level of infuriating.
According to The Mail, Aston Villa are planning a January raid of their near neighbours with an 18-year-old wonderkid in their sights.
Tulloch, with three goals in his last five games, has arguably replaced Barry as the most exciting teenage talent in The Baggies’ ranks and the prospect of him defecting to their claret and blue-clad adversaries is the stuff of nightmares.
For far too long, West Brom have allowed themselves to be bullied in the transfer market with clubs from England and abroad stripping the flesh from an impressive academy on an almost annual basis.
But while Barry and Rogers could perhaps be forgiven for having their head turned by Barcelona and Manchester City, the rapid rise of Nathan Ferguson, Kyle Edwards and Grady Diangana at West Brom this season should give Tulloch food for though as he weighs up a shock move to another of the Midlands biggest clubs.
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