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Exclusive: West Brom Players Reveal Shocking Contract Decisions
After the play-off loss to Southampton, West Brom players are interacting with the club’s fan base on social media. Some West Bromwich Albion players, such as longest-serving player Matt Phillips, who said goodbye to The Hawthorns after eight years with the team, have started thinking about their futures and the just concluded Championship season.
After losing to Southampton in the play-off semi-final, Albion now has a number of first-team and academy players whose contracts are up for renewal this summer.
Along with Phillips, Kyle Bartley, another senior, Alex Mowatt and Cedric Kipre, as well as midfield backup players Nathaniel Chalobah and Yann M’Vila, are on this list. Adam Reach, a winger, and Martin Kelly, a defender, are also on the list.
Despite suffering a number of significant injuries during his tenure in the Black Country, Phillips was recruited by Tony Pulis in 2016 and went on to play under eight different permanent managers while making 255 appearances for Albion, with 31 goals and 31 assists.
Honoring those who have stood by him, he hinted that the team will ‘always be in my heart’. Phillips expressed his belief that Albion can continue to succeed after Carlos Corberan leaves, calling him “unbelievable.”
“Baggies, I would like to say a huge thank you for all of your support over the last eight years on behalf of my family and myself,” Phillips wrote on Instagram. “Players from the past and present, managers, employees at training facilities and stadiums, and everyone in between! I’ll always have a special place in my heart for this club, and I wish it all the best. You have an amazing manager and a fantastic bunch of guys that work hard every day to make you all proud.
Chalobah, a midfielder, also made hints that his time is over. He signed an 18-month contract with Fulham in January 2023, but after M’Vila arrived, his playing time decreased, and he didn’t make a start until the team lost to Sunderland in the middle of April.
All he wrote on social media was “Thank you Baggies #NC14.” Similar to Kipre, Mowatt is a player that many Albion supporters would like to see stay at The Hawthorns; his three-year contract is about to expire, but under Corberan, he really blossomed this past season and was a regular member of the starting lineup the entire time.
