Why West Brom signing Morgan Fox in January would be a smart move

According to TEAMtalk (h/t Nottingham Post), West Ham are one of the Championship clubs keen on making a January move for Sheffield Wednesday’s Morgan Fox.

Morgan Fox, 26, who recently got a Welsh national call up, has been one of the Owls’ best players this season. He moved to Hillsborough from Charlton in January 2017 and has played 85 times for the club, scoring once.

The left-back is out of contract in the summer and that has led to a whole host of clubs looking at his talent. Fox is also wanted by Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Blackburn Rovers and Huddersfield Town, the report adds. (h/t Nottingham Post)

Morgan Fox of Sheffield Wednesday shoots whilst being closed down by Thomas Edwards of Stoke City during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke City at Hillsborough Stadium on October 22, 2019 in Sheffield, England. (Getty Images)

West Brom, meanwhile, currently lead the Championship standings after coming from behind to beat Birmingham City at the weekend. Manager Slaven Bilic will be keen to cement his side’s promotion chances over the winter period.

But the Croatian must look to bolster his squad in the January transfer window given the Championship is an unforgiving and taxing league where things can change in a blink of an eye.

One position which Bilic should look at is left-back, despite West Brom having a lot of depth. Kieran Gibbs, Conor Townsend and Nathan Ferguson are all capable of playing in the position.

But Gibbs has hardly played this season due to injury trouble, while Ferguson is out of contract at the end of the season. Townsend has made 5 Championship starts for the Baggies and while he has impressed occasionally, he has failed to match the consistency that Ferguson has shown so far this campaign.

Thus, signing Morgan Fox would make sense for the Baggies. Fox has made over 150 appearances in the Championship and his performances for Sheffield Wednesday so far this season have been very impressive. In fact, he has played a key role in the Owls’ promising start to the current campaign under Garry Monk, racking up 15 appearances.

Slaven Bilic's West Brom are top of the Championship table. (Getty Images) — Slaven Bilic’s West Brom are top of the Championship table. (Getty Images)

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Fox has solid experience in the Championship and would be an upgrade over the inconsistent Townsend. At the age of 26, he is perhaps about to embark the best years of his career and West Brom could enjoy his peak if they manage to get a deal done next month.

Verdict

Signing a proven, established Championship player like Fox would represent good business by West Brom. All in all, the Wednesday star will be a good long-term replacement for Gibbs, who has often struggled for fitness at the Hawthorns.