WBA eye move for 27 y/o ace who has “Premier League talent”, he’s an upgrade on Mowatt - opinion

West Bromwich Albion are now facing another season in the Championship after failing to maintain a consistent run of promotion-worthy form throughout the current campaign.

With Steve Bruce at the helm and the summer transfer window set to open for business in the coming weeks, it seems as though the Baggies may have identified one man for a potential swoop.

According to journalist Alan Nixon (via Birmingham Mail), the Midlands club are eyeing up a move for Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell.

Since arriving at the Lancashire club in 2018 from Oxford United, the 27-year-old has gone on to make 161 appearances across all competitions. In that time, the midfielder has scored 11 goals and provided 18 assists, showing that he can be effective in front of goal.

According to WhoScored, in addition to having three goals and 10 assists to his name in the current Championship campaign, the Englishman has an overall performance rating of 6.95/10, making him the third-highest rated player in Blackburn’s squad to start more than two league games.

With his current contract at Ewood Park set to expire in the summer, the Baggies could theoretically land Rothwell on a free transfer, as they did with Alex Mowatt during the summer 2021 transfer window.

To compare the two midfield maestros, the Blackburn man has recorded more interceptions (48) than Mowatt (35) and has a higher percentage for shots on target. Also, despite playing seven more games than the West Brom midfielder, Rothwell has committed nine fewer fouls than his fellow countryman this season.

This all suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on last summer’s midfield recruit for Bruce’s side if they bring him to the Midlands.

Described by his manager Tony Mowbray