Tyler Roberts’ West Brom contract expires next summer and he has attracted interest from Sunderland, Ipswich Town and Brighton.
The fact that Tyler Roberts’ contract at West Brom is due to expire at the end of the season has not gone unnoticed. According to the Sun on Sunday (10th September, page 58) Championship duo Sunderland and Ipswich Town are tracking the progress of The Baggies’ 18-year-old forward, as are Brighton and Hove Albion.
Along with Rakeem Harper and Jonathan Leko, who moved on loan to Blackburn and Bristol City this summer respectively, Roberts is one of the most exciting young talents in a West Brom academy that has struggled to find players deemed worthy of the first-team in recent years.
However, the teenage striker is highly rated at The Hawthorns and it is a surprise that West Brom have not acted to tie one of their brightest prospects down to a long-term deal.
Yet, the Birmingham Mail reports that this could change with Roberts’ loan spell at Walsall in League One likely to have an impact on whether or not the Premier League club decide the keep the faith. The report claims that West Brom will not want to lose the Wales Under-21 international on a free – and with good reason.
Roberts is a genuinely talented young forward and has made a promising impression at Walsall so far, scoring eight minutes into his debut against Bradford City last month.
And West Brom should certainly be wary about letting Roberts go in a summer where another of their one-time striking prospects, Chris Wood, joined Premier League rivals Burnley for £15 million (BBC).
Sunderland’s interest makes sense, however, with the cash-strapped Championship strugglers crying out for attacking reinforcements after scoring just six times in the opening six games of the season.
No team in the second tier spent less money than Sunderland this summer so the prospect of signing Roberts on a free understandably appeals.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
