Taylor Gardner-Hickman could leave West Brom this month – Joe Chapman

Taylor Gardner-Hickman could leave West Brom this summer in search of more regular football, according to BirminghamLive journalist Joe Chapman.

Writing on their official website (3 August) the newspaper report that links between the player and rivals Birmingham City are however wide of the mark.

But Gardner-Hickman has failed to cement himself as a regular under Carlos Corberan since the Spaniard’s arrival at The Hawthorns and with the club’s financial situation he could leave before the window closes.

“West Brom’s Taylor Gardner-Hickman could leave the club this month – but it’s understood that if the versatile academy product does, it won’t be to neighbours Birmingham City.

“There have been suggestions on social media this week that boyhood Baggie Gardner-Hickman is of interest to Blues and other clubs in the Championship before the window closes, but BirminghamLive has been told that Blues won’t be moving for the midfielder.”

Blow

Selling players is part of football, especially when they’re good and you need money the way West Brom do right now.

But the squad is already pretty bare and Gardner-Hickman’s versatility and quality in several positions is something that will no doubt come in handy over the upcoming season. That same quality and versatility has seen him described as “amazing” in the past.

He can play in both full-back positions, central midfield and has even played as a number ten in pre-season, so there must be a place for him in the manager’s plans even if not as a sure-fire starter.

The new season starts in just a matter of days and the manager will know the squad he wants to have, so any sale would no doubt be a huge blow to West Brom and Corberan.

Thankfully a move to the Blues isn’t on the cards because that would be a living nightmare, but any sale would be the wrong decision from this club at this stage unless it was a mind-boggling offer.

In other West Brom news, Josh Maja decision to be made in our predicted XI v Blackburn.