“They need to be careful” – West Brom’s pursuit of 28-year-old free agent: The verdict

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Bromwich Albion are in pole position to sign free agent forward Tom Lawrence according to the Daily Mail.

The Welshman performed very well and demonstrated great leadership qualities as Derby County valiantly fought against relegation from the Championship last season.

Having reached the end of his deal at Pride Park, Lawrence is now one of the most exciting potentially free signings around at second tier level and he would certainly make the Baggies more dangerous in the final third.

We gathered the thoughts of a selection of FLW writers to see if they believe Lawrence would be a smart addition for Steve Bruce’s men and if the 28-year-old would be a regular starter in the Black Country…

Toby Wilding

This does feel as though it could be a very good signing for West Brom if they can get it done.

Even with all the trouble Derby had to cope with last season, Lawrence produced a string of impressive and influential performances, meaning he could handle the pressure of the promotion battle the Baggies will be expected to be part of.

Indeed, with a number of West Brom’s own attacking midfield options having struggled to live up to expectations during the 2021/22 campaign, you get the feeling Lawrence would deserve a chance to impress in the starting XI at The Hawthorns.

With his contract at Derby now over, this deal for Lawrence as a free agent would be a bargain, and something of a coup given the interest there has been in him, so this does look to be well worth pursuing for West Brom.

Adam Jones

It’s a tough