Ron Gourlay issues clear West Brom transfer message amid Reyes Cleary interest from Arsenal

The club in recent years has struggled to maintain some of their brightest talents coming through the academy.

The likes of Tim Iroegbunam, Finley Thorndike and Finn Azaz have all departed the club, as has Morgan Rogers. 

It was only last week that Chelsea took Leo Cardoso from the club, who is only 16-years of age. 

But Gourlay has claimed that the club are working to ensure this becomes a thing of the past. 

The club’s new chief executive has pointed to Taylor Gardner-Hickman as an example of someone the club were able to tie down as a long-term prospect. 

Gourlay has previously worked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Reading so knows how difficult it can be to compete with the top clubs. 

“While young players have left you have got to balance that with the number of players that we have extended and signed,” said Gourlay, via Express & Star. 

“We have kept a lot of players, young Taylor being one.

“But a lot of the guys on the verge [of the first-team], their contracts have been extended.

“The club has managed to tidy that up quite rapidly but unfortunately you are going to lose one or two along the way. Every club does.

“But we are trying and working very hard to stop clubs taking our best young talents.

“We have to enhance the offering we have here. They have got to be able to see a pathway. We have got to be able to demonstrate to parents there is an opportunity there to come through the ranks.”

Reyes Cleary is the latest young star to be linked to a move away from the Baggies, with Arsenal among the clubs battling to get his signature. 

West Brom are currently 13th in the Championship under new manager Steve Bruce.

Bruce won his first game in charge of the Baggies in their latest game, beating Hull City 2-0