West Bromwich Albion's James Morrison Eyes More Signings Ahead of Championship Challenge
West Bromwich Albion boss James Morrison believes his squad is close to being ready for a long Championship slog – but he still wants more through the door before the window slams shut.
At the top of his list is a familiar face.
Collyer deal close as Morrison eyes more
Albion are on the verge of re-signing Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer, with a deal understood to be worth up to £7.6m after his loan spell in the first half of last season. Talks with United have progressed and West Brom are now set to bring him back permanently as Morrison looks to lock in the core of a side that has started the campaign with intent.
He is not treating Collyer as the final piece, though.
“I am hopeful,” Morrison told BBC Radio WM when asked about further additions before the 1 September deadline. “There's been a lot of hard work been going on behind the scenes. We have to do things a little bit differently, we have to be clever about it and I felt that we've been doing that because we've had a lot of signings.”
Eight of them already, and counting.
Tunde brings pace, power – and something Albion have lacked
One of those new arrivals, Spanish winger Kareem Tunde from Levante, has already caught Morrison’s eye on the training pitch. At 21, he is raw, quick and exactly the sort of profile the head coach has been craving.
“It's a big opportunity for him, coming to a new culture, still only being 21,” Morrison said. “He's an exciting prospect and an exciting player, so we're delighted to have him.
“It just gives us different options now and I felt like we've always missed that little bit in games where we could stretch our opposition and he's got that pace and power that we've been looking for.”
That word – stretch – matters. Albion have often looked compact and organised in recent seasons, but not always explosive. Tunde’s arrival hints at a shift: more aggression in transition, more threat in behind, more ways to hurt teams when games open up.
Flying start, ruthless standards
The recruitment drive comes against the backdrop of an excellent opening to the new Championship season. Two games, two wins. Points on the board early, confidence growing, and a squad beginning to look deeper and more flexible.
Morrison, though, is in no mood for back-slapping. He talks about “finishing touches” rather than revolution, standards rather than celebrations.
“They've set a standard now and they can't let it drop,” he warned, conscious that the real tests arrive thick and fast in this division.
The next one is loaded with personal history.
Homecoming test at Middlesbrough
On Saturday, West Brom travel to last season’s beaten play-off finalists Middlesbrough – Morrison’s hometown club and the place where his career began. It is the sort of fixture that invites sentiment, but he has long since learned the cost of letting emotions take over.
“I've been back many times and played, so I'm over that,” he said. “I can remember my first one going back and I was all over the place, I was terrible. So I learnt from that experience.
“I think my last time there as a player, I ended up scoring and I still remember that feeling. So I'm really looking forward to the game, but also I know this is going to be one of the toughest away fixtures we'll face.”
A squad still being shaped. A coach returning to his roots. A club trying to turn a sharp start into a sustained promotion push. If Albion keep signing smart and keep those standards where Morrison demands, how far can this group really go?
