It has been an excellent start to the 2024/25 Championship season for West Bromwich Albion on the whole.
After the disappointment of losing out to Southampton in the play-off semi-finals last season, the Baggies will be desperate to go one better this time around.
So far, the signs have certainly been promising for Carlos Corberan’s side. With ten points from four league games so far, they currently sit second in the early standings.
Many of the all-round performances have also been encouraging, which may only add to the growing hope around The Hawthorns.
However, one West Brom player who may be somewhat frustrated at how the campaign has gone so far from an individual perspective is Jed Wallace.
A quiet start to the campaign for Baggies attacker
Since moving to The Hawthorns in the summer of 2022, Wallace has been a regular feature for the club.
He started every league game they played during his debut campaign in the Midlands, and featured 44 times in the Championship last season, starting 36 times.
This time around though, things have so far been different for the versatile attacker as all three league appearances have come from the bench – with Wallace getting just 52 minutes of Championship football/
| Jed Wallace competitive record for West Brom – stats from Transfermarkt | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Appearances | Minutes Played | Minutes per Game | Goals | Assists |
| 2022/23 | 50 | 4,115 | 82.3 | 6 | 8 |
| 2023/24 | 45 | 2,999 | 66.6 | 6 | 5 |
| 2024/25 | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 0 | 0 |
| As of 4th September 2024 | |||||
As a result, it could be argued that the West Brom man may already need to have an eye on the January transfer window.
Jed Wallace may need to consider West Brom exit
While it has been a tough start to the season for Wallace, it may be the case that his challenge to get game time could get even harder as the season goes on.
Both Grady Diangana and Daryl Dike are still due to return to action for West Brom in the coming months, after spells out through injury.
That will further add to the options available to Corberan in attack and to the competition Wallace is facing for a place in the side, meaning he may need to consider a move elsewhere.
At 30 years old, the attacker is gradually starting to approach the latter stages of his career, and so will want to play as much as he can while he is still at his peak.
Right now, he is not getting the chance to do that with West Brom, which may add to the appeal of a move elsewhere when the market reopens in January.
It is also worth noting that come the turn of the year, Wallace will be entering the final 18 months of his contract at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies themselves may see that as a sensible moment to cash in on him as things stand, rather than face pressure over his situation next summer when there is just a year to go on his deal.
Indeed, if Wallace was to become available in January, his experience and proven ability in the Championship means he would surely attract plenty of interest from elsewhere.
That too could therefore add to the appeal of looking into a January move for the attacker, since it could open the door for some exciting opportunities elsewhere for him.
So with that in mind, it seems there may be a case to be made for the suggestion that Wallace may have plenty of thinking to do about his West Brom future, between now and the January transfer window.
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