West Bromwich Albion are still unbeaten in the Championship during the early stages of the season, with three wins and one draw picked up from their opening four second-tier clashes.
Convincingly putting Queens Park Rangers to the sword on the opening day 3-1, the style of win that got Carlos Corberan's men over the line versus Swansea City last time out was a little more defensive in approach however, as a Jayson Molumby strike in first-half stoppage time secured a 1-0 victory.
Only shippingtwo goals across this unbeaten patch of fixtures, it's clear to see that Corberan's men excel when games turn into a backs-against-the-wall type of affair, with the Baggies only boosted at the back further by the surprise deadline day addition of Mason Holgate.
Holgate's transfer to West Brom
This will actually be Holgate's second time pulling on a West Brom strip, having starred at the Hawthorns on loan during the 2018/19 season in the Championship, which ended in the West Midlands side missing out on promotion via the play-offs.
Corberan and Co will hope the 6-foot defender coming back for another spell can see promotion happen this time around after finding his minutes had significantly dried up at Goodison Park under Sean Dyche of late, with only 16 minutes gifted to him for the Toffees this campaign during the disastrous opener versus Brighton and Hove Albion.
The 27-year-old is fondly remembered for playing his part in West Brom sealing a play-off spot, with a mightily impressive total of 7.6 duels won per match during that very season, as the former Baggies number 68 put his neck on the line time after time for his loan side.
With Cedric Kipre no longer at Corberan's disposal, Holgate will be able to offer the Championship promotion candidates another body unafraid to roll his sleeves up for the cause at the back, alongside the already imperious set of defenders at the Hawthorns in Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi and more.
Still, although he has 137 Premier League appearances under his belt, Holgate's transfer value – as per Football Transfers – has taken a gigantic hit owing to his lesser ranking now in the Toffees pecking order, with the former England U21 international once worth a staggering £19m back in October of 2022.
Now, he's worth just £1.5m, as he aims to get back to his previous best moving down a division, next to established West Brom first-team face Darnell Furlong, who is actually worth more than the once exciting Toffees youngster.
Furlong's transfer value in 2024
The former Queens Park Rangers ace showed how pivotal he is to Corberan's men versus Luke Williams' Swans, with this last-ditch tackle denying what could have been a game-changing goal in favour of the Welsh visitors.
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The 28-year-old right-back's value stands at a hefty £2.3m as a result of his concrete spot in the West Brom first-team, with Furlong ever-present in his side's last 52 second-tier games on the trot.
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
0
Assists
0
Touches
62
Accurate passes
31/34 (91%)
Key passes
2
Clearances
2
Interceptions
2
Tackles
1
Duels won
7/10
It's clear from his top-drawer display against Swansea why Corberan continues to pick Furlong week in week out, with a 91% pass accuracy managed and two key passes tallied up as a bright presence going forward, as much as he can also be dogged defensively.
Holgate can operate in a similar fashion too, with the reserve Everton figure capable of slotting in at full-back if needed, which could prove to be useful to the Baggies as the season progresses.
Still, Furlong continues to prove his worth away from any new recruits joining, more than justifying the £1.5m spent on his services back in 2019, by now being worth nearly £1m more.
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