West Brom must capitalise on Blackburn Rovers situation as big Tom Fellows, Everton update emerges
West Bromwich Albion seem set to lose right midfielder Tom Fellows to Everton this summer, but there is a replacement who could make for a perfect replacement.
West Bromwich Albion are under new management, with Ryan Mason having taken over as the club’s head coach after the sacking of Tony Mowbray earlier this year.
But while the summer rebuilding job at The Hawthorns is intended to be about bringing new players into the club, it seems increasingly likely that one key player will be leaving, too.
Tom Fellows played in 45 of West Brom’s 46 Championship matches throughout the 2024-25 season, and rumours of his impending departure have been circulating for some time.
It now seems likely that a move that was first mooted in the January transfer window is about to come to pass.
Everton are set to rekindle their previous interest in Tom Fellows
TEAMtalk have reported that Everton are set to revitalise their interest in Fellows, having previously been interested in him at the end of the January transfer window.
They report that Albion were “reluctant” to let Fellows leave at that time because of the risk to their own promotion push, but that they’re reconsidering and now considering cashing in on the England Under-21 after having failed to get into the play-offs.
Fellows has been in Slovakia with the England Under-21 squad for the European Championships, but it’s now expected that a deal worth a potential £10m will be tied up for the player to move to Goodison Park upon his return, with TEAMtalk reporting that Ryan Mason is “resigned to losing” the talented young player.
A ready-made replacement for Fellows is ready and waiting at Blackburn
To lose such a player would leave a gaping hole in West Bromwich Albion’s squad ahead of the new season, but there is a ready-made replacement for Fellows who is available, if Albion act quickly.
Tyrhys Dolan is at the end of his contract with Blackburn Rovers, and has previously hinted that he could be leaving the club this summer, telling an interview with The Times that “it’s a short career and I’ve always wanted to play at the top level, and at this point, I’m a free agent with the belief in myself to perform anywhere.”
But there will be serious competition for a player who will be one of the Championship’s most coveted free agents this summer. It had been rumoured that he could be set to leave for Norwich City, but these rumours have been “played down”.
There’s no doubt that Dolan could be a perfect replacement for Fellows. A comparative heatmap between the two shows that Fellows tends to stick more rigidly to the right wing, but that he also creates more opportunities, with 13 big chances created to Dolan’s 7 in the Championship last season.
As can be seen, Dolan was a better scorer of goals throughout the 2024-25 season, but Fellows was a better creator of both goals and big chances, whilst Dolan is the more defensively-minded of the two players.
If West Bromwich Albion can secure Dolan’s signature, it would be a major coup for the club. Blackburn would be entitled to compensation due to his age, but he would provide a ready-made solution to any gap left by the departure of Tom Fellows.
But such is Dolan’s profile across the Championship and beyond, that they won’t be alone in the chase for his signature.
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