According to a report by Sky Sports, West Bromwich Albion are in talks to sign Yeovil Town defender Tom James. Apart from the Baggies, other Championship outfits such as Swansea City, Brentford and Hull City have also been monitoring him this summer. It’ll be interesting to see whether Darren Moore is successful in signing the defender or not.
Tom James – Fact File
James came up through the youth ranks of Cardiff City starting from the Under-9 level but was mainly on the fringes of their senior side. In the January transfer window of 2017, he switched to Yeovil Town and has is one of the most prized assets at the club. He has also represented the Wales Under-19 side on a couple of occasions.
West Brom had a forgettable season in the Premier League last year and their relegation ultimately did not come as a surprise. Moore’s immediate task will be to put up a strong promotion challenge. It won’t be an easy affair, particularly after the exits of some notable players like James McClean, Jonny Evans and Ben Foster.
Moore has been relatively busy in the ongoing transfer window to ensure he has the right players who can stake a promotion bid this season. He has signed Sam Johnstone, Kyle Bartley, Harvey Barnes, Conor Townsend and Jonathan Bond already and to beef up his defensive ranks further, he has his eye set on James. The defender has just one year left on his ongoing contract with the Glovers and a move to the Championship should appeal to him.
Why he’d be a smart signing
James is a versatile defender who plies his trade primarily as a right-back but is capable of operating as a left-back, central defender as well as a right-sided midfielder. He has proven his mettle in League Two and is a tough tackler and an astute reader of the game. He is still only 22 and has time on his side to develop and get better in the coming seasons.
Ahmed Hegazi and Craig Dawson are likely to depart as the former has been linked with Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United whereas Dawson has already handed in a transfer request. Although James is mainly expected to provide competition for Nyom, he can also deputise in the other defensive slots.
