West Bromwich Albion are surely used to this feeling now.
The Baggies are staring down the barrel of Izzy Brown 2.0; Tyler Roberts 2.0; Louie Barry 2.0.
It’s all very much a frequent occurrence at the Hawthorns.
Young defender Nathan Ferguson is yet to sign the terms offered to him by the club in recent months, meaning they could well look to sell him in January, according to the Express & Star.
The 19-year-old only broke into the first-team fold this season as manager Slaven Bilic promoted him from the youth ranks, and his performances this season on either side of the back four have led to interest from some European heavyweights.
Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace appear to have eyed him up to fill their needs at right-back while Atletico Madrid and Juventus have also been touted.
But should Albion look to sell up in the winter window? Would it be a mistake? He could well go for peanuts in the summer if they do not act soon.
Here’s what some of the writers at Football FanCast think…
Matt Dawson
“This is classic West Brom. Academy player starts to perform well and he leaves the club. However, in this situation, it’s a tricky one. Albion have had some excellent players come through their ranks in recent years and making it to the FA Youth Cup semi-finals last term is a testament to some of the wonderful individuals they have in their set-up.
“Ferguson is one of the brightest to come through and it would be a bitter blow to lose him in January given supporters also saw Louie Barry and Morgan Rogers walk out of the Hawthorns last summer. Yet, if the youngster isn’t willing to put pen to paper on a new deal, then selling him in January wouldn’t be the worst of ideas. He may be young, but the Baggies have replacements at both full-back positions in Darnell Furlong, Kieran Gibbs, and Conor Townsend.
“When top teams come calling it’s hard to turn them down and the fact his contract expires next year suggests they could be destined to lose him. The saga that played out around Rekeem Harper as his contract began to wear down last season became tedious and monotonous. Let’s hope that isn’t the case with Ferguson, either.”
Kealan Hughes
“This is a difficult situation, but one they should have been more prepared for given interest in their good young players has been a common occurrence over the last few months.
“Although they have back-up options, they really need to show some ambition and do their utmost to keep him at the club beyond January and hopefully for their sake beyond the end of the season.
“To do that they need to offer him a substantial contract and given they can offer him first-team football and possibly the opportunity to progress in the Premier League they should be able to persuade him to extend his stay.
“With promotion on the line, the last thing they should do is sell him in January, it would send out a negative message to the fans and other players in the squad who are in a similar position to him, such as Rekeem Harper. Securing a new deal for him now would show they’re planning for the future and can’t be pushed over easily.”
Charles Jones
“I think that this is a case of weighing up the pros and cons of the move.
“Ferguson has mostly been playing as a left-back this season, and with the experienced Kieran Gibbs still being a part of Slaven Bilic’s squad, he has a readymade replacement right there ready to go.
“It’ll be a shame for the Baggies to lose the teenage star, but surely they’d rather get something for him than let him go for whatever tiny amount of compensation they may get.
“Losing him wouldn’t derail their promotion hunt too much, and the funds they get from selling him could be used to sure up some of the weaker areas in his squad.
“It’ll be sad to see him go, but it’s better to do it now rather than letting him leave on a free in a few months.”
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Lewis Blain
“West Brom find themselves in a very unfortunate situation, but no one could have predicted this young man’s meteoric rise. However, selling him in January would actually come as a positive as it means they have actually learned from their mistakes. Far too often do they see youngsters escape their grasp for free or next to nothing. This would counter that somewhat.
“Bilic also has more than enough cover in either full-back area as Conor Townsend has stepped up to the plate in his absence currently, and then there are Kieran Gibbs and Darnell Furlong. Even at centre-back, Ferguson’s original position for the U23 squad and the Young Lions, there’s plenty of depth as Ahmed Hegazi can’t even break into the starting XI.
“Dowling and co need to cash in if he’s not going to commit his future in the west Midlands. The 19-year-old is not indispensable.”
