Cost £0, now worth £2.7m: WBA struck gold on "unbelievable" gem who is "like a sponge" - opinion

West Brom have the fourth most valuable squad in the Championship according to Transfermarkt with an overall value of £77.18m behind the likes of AFC Bournemouth, Fulham and Sheffield United.

One player in the Baggies’ ranks that contributes to their overall squad value is also one that the club didn’t need to spend a penny on.

Back in the 2015 summer window, the Midlands club secured a free transfer for 23-year-old centre-back Dara O’Shea from Irish club St. Kevins Boys.

Since then, the defender has gone on to make 36 appearances for their U18 and U23 sides combined, scoring two goals and providing three assists in the process.

For the senior side, the centre-back has made 60 appearances across all competitions with five goals and one assist to his name.

This season has seen the Irishman, who has been praised for his “unbelievable” improvement over the years by former Baggies manager Slaven Bilic, make just eight appearances in the Championship for Steve Bruce’s side having spent a significant period out injured with an ankle fracture.

Despite this, the defender has still managed to find the back of the net on two occasions and earn himself an impressive overall performance rating of 7.28 from WhoScored, making him West Brom’s highest-rated player, highlighting how valuable he is to the team.

In terms of his market value, Transfermarkt listed it at £135k back in October 2019, just a couple of months before he made his senior debut for the Baggies. Whereas it now stands at £2.7m, showing a significant increase based on what he’s done on the pitch and proving that the club hit the jackpot with him.

Described as being “like a sponge” by Bilic in terms of the focus he has on learning and improving his game, O’Shea is