West Bromwich Albion sanctioned a host of loan exits of their academy-produced youngsters over the course of the summer transfer window. Some we may not see at the club again, for their loan clubs have options to sign those respective talents on permanent bases, while others will intend to use this forthcoming EFL campaign to propel themselves into the Albion first-team reckoning next year.
First-team forward Karlan Grant aside, Albion have loaned out seven academy products this past summer, two of them on deals which include options to buy, and all seven of those players to clubs in the EFL. Some have settled in quickly to their new surroundings having had a pre-season and the early stages of this new campaign to bed in, but others are still finding their feet after a flurry of deals presented themselves to Albion at the eleventh hour.
Carlos Corberan confirmed that he would retain young guns Caleb Taylor and Tom Fellows, who remain at The Hawthorns alongside second choice goalkeeper Josh Griffiths, following their loan spells of last year, but many of their PL2 counterparts have headed out to various locations around England and at varying levels of the EFL pyramid. Here is how they are individually getting on early doors.
Player: Jovan Malcolm
Club: Cheltenham Town (League One)
Malcolm completed a beat-the-deadline move to Cheltenham, as the relationship between the Robins and the Baggies bore fruit again - he's the fourth player in recent years to make that journey to the south west. Striker Malcolm was leaned on by Corberan in pre-season in the absence of a multitude of attacking options but with Josh Maja through the door, he was granted another chance of experience under the belt.
"I was in contact with Russ (Milton) and Ben (Pickford) for a lot of Friday evening and Jovan became available late on. I canvassed opinions among the staff and Russ and Ben were in a position to make a move on it," former Cheltenham boss Wade Elliott said of the late move.
"He has pace, power and good physicality. We have been operating with two forwards for a long time. We looked a real threat, with a real presence up front for the first 55 or 60 minutes and then Will Goodwin had to come off. We've not been able to change it at all, previously. At least now, hopefully we have the bodies and the options to freshen up the front three if anyone is fatiguing or it's time for whatever reason."
Two Tuesdays ago Malcolm made his bow in the EFL Trophy as a 38th minute substitute and Elliott added: "Yes, he’s pacey, he’s quick. We want to ask him to be direct, get at people and put them on the back foot. He definitely gave us an outlet." Malcolm has since started the last two league games but the Robins have failed to score this season - and it has cost Elliott his job.
Player: Mo Faal
Club: Doncaster Rovers (League Two)
Faal shone at non-league AFC Fylde last season and played a big part in helping them over the line of promotion in the second half of the season, before he was summoned back by Albion in March. It made perfect sense, then, for the striker to test himself at a higher level this term and, in Doncaster Rovers, he's been granted that opportunity.
"Mo was excellent at MK Dons," Rovers boss Grant McCann assessed. "He is a top player and he's a very good finisher. He will flow with the goals."
The attacker, at the time of writing, has featured in seven matches already - and benefitted from the experience of facing Premier League Everton in the EFL Cup - of which he has started the last four straight matches under McCann. That faith was rewarded with Faal scoring his first league goal at Wrexham on the weekend.
"He was good today, Mo," McCann summarised. "He still needs to understand what we're about in terms of the reaction to losing possession and stuff like that, but he's got serious ability. In between the posts is where you score goals and he as a centre forward was there to do that at Wrexham."
Player: Rayhaan Tulloch
Club: Bradford City (League Two)
Almost as quickly as Tulloch returned to Albion, he was heading back out the door again; having spent time in Ireland in the first half of 2023, where he scored five league goals for Dundalk, Tulloch is back out on loan, this time with Bradford City. Things didn't work out for a variety of reasons at Doncaster or Rochdale, but under Mark Hughes he's been given another crack at EFL football at Valley Parade.
The 22-year-old, who is into the final year of his contract and who scored the first goal in the 3-0 PL2 win at Aston Villa last month, has made a couple of substitute appearances and Hughes has been encouraged by the early signs.
“Rayhaan is an exciting player who is versatile enough to operate anywhere across the forward line, and possesses a threat with his pace, trickery and eye for goal," Hughes said. “He is very highly thought of at his parent club and has a good level of experience up and down the EFL, in the Premier League and in Ireland, at a relatively young age.
"[Against Grimsby] He showed in glimpses what he will offer us. I'm excited by what he will bring to the party. It's not easy coming into a group which has had a full pre-season and you come in late in the window - it's difficult to hit the ground running, but you can see the quality. Ray has a great understanding and awareness of people around him. Those are traits we'll exploit."
Player: Ethan Ingram
Club: Salford City (League Two)
Right-back Ingram gave as good as he got in the EFL Cup defeat at Stoke City - his third EFL Cup first-team appearance in as many years - but with Albion aiming for another right-back, a player they secured in Pipa, the plan was for Ingram to go out on loan. Shrewsbury Town and Cheltenham Town were understood to be interested in deals for Ingram, but Salford - who Ingram featured against for Albion in pre-season - concluded a late deal.
He has already made a couple of appearances, including against Bolton Wanderers - who operate at a division higher - and, having come through 90 minutes in his first league start against Walsall this past weekend, he drew praise from Ammies boss Neil Wood for his early efforts.
"I thought Ethan Ingram was outstanding for his first game," Wood said. "He's only trained one day with the group and he's been excellent."
Interestingly, it's been pointed out that Ingram is with Footwork agency, founded by David Beckham among others - Beckham, of course, is a co-owner of Salford with a number of his old Manchester United teammates. Footwork also represent fellow Albion academy product Morgan Rogers, now of Middlesbrough.
Player: Taylor-Gardner-Hickman
Club: Bristol City (Championship)
The only player on this list who is operating at the same level as Albion, TGH joined Bristol City last month in order to gain more regular second tier football and, in the meantime, earn himself a permanent contract at Ashton Gate. It was a contentious decision in the fanbase to allow Gardner-Hickman to leave for a Championship rival, but his permanent departure would fetch vital funds this time next year.
He can't play against Albion this weekend at Ashton Gate, but boss Nigel Pearson has already spoken very highly of Gardner-Hickman, who got his first start in the win at Swansea before the break, filling in as right-back cover.
“It was just an opportunity for us to get something done relatively quickly, I’m very pleased about it,” Pearson explained. “It gives us an option in the short-term but of course, we have options as well which is good. I think it’s just one of those where he’s a good age for us, and his versatility gives us a bit of cover where we’re currently short. I’m very pleased and I have to say I’ve been very impressed with him as well.
“The clauses have all been agreed so if we decide to take that option up then it’s already done. I think that gives him something to aim for as well. Taylor’s not played that much football and when you get players that come in, I don’t know what their pre-season looked like, really, so he’s probably got some catching up to do on a physical level as well to be at the level that he needs top be in our style of play, which is lots of explosive actions.
"I thought he did well [at Swansea], he didn’t look fazed at all by it and an upside was his delivery from wide areas and his delivery from set plays is really very good. And he gives us an option in midfield as well.”
Player: Zac Ashworth
Club: Bolton Wanderers (League One)
Like Gardner-Hickman, fans are bracing themselves for the prospect that they'll never see Ashworth at The Hawthorns again and, certainly reading between the pre-season lines, the Wales under 21 international himself sees an obvious carrot at Bolton to earn himself a move and kickstart his senior career.
Ashworth scored the winner against Barrow on his debut, in the EFL Cup first round, but as regards to League One minutes he's being made to be patient so far by his manager Ian Evatt.
"We are working hard to strengthen the squad and Zac is another excellent addition," Evatt said upon his signing. We need some multi-functional players who can play in different roles, especially after losing George [Johnston]. It was important that we have some left-footed cover on that side of the pitch. He is a really promising young player that we think can reach some real heights in the game. He wants to be with us, he wants to learn with us and I’m looking forward to working with him.
"He is a quality, young player who has played in the Championship and last season gained valuable experience in League One as an important part of Burton's team. He is here initially on loan but that could become permanent which would keep him with us long-term and give us another talented young player."
Player: Jamie Andrews
Club: Grimsby Town (League Two)
Like Malcolm, Andrews was depended on by Corberan in pre-season, with the Spaniard tapping into his versatility to help cover bases where the Baggies were at that stage light - at left-back for example - when the squads were split for back-to-back friendlies. Andrews, who notched at brace in the under 21s' win at Villa, has already spent time out at non-league Yeovil, but this is his first go at EFL football.
Andrews played an hour against Chesterfield in January and held his own in midfield, but he'll hope for more minutes over the course of this season. He has made two starts in the EFL Trophy already, including against Manchester City, and made his league debut in the win over Gillingham. He was a late sub in the recent defeat at Wrexham.
Manager Paul Hurst said: “He can play as an eight, whether it is the right side or left side, and he can play if we go with two holding midfield players, so I wanted someone to come in that had that adaptability. We’ll see how he progresses with us, but he is certainly a player that I think is comfortable in possession which is one of the key attributes for a midfield player.
"It was important for me that he could do both roles and the person that was coming in had to be capable of playing as an eight. He put a couple of good balls in [against Man City] but that is something he’ll probably want to do better with. He’s scored a couple of goals in his career and he is certainly capable of doing that for us too."
