Dream Johnston repeat: West Brom keen on move for “special” PL star

Ryan Mason will continue as West Bromwich Albion manager heading into the early days of 2026.

The former Tottenham Hotspur coach turned Baggies boss did look to be on shaky ground concerning his long-term future, but he has now wriggled free from some of those immediate pressures, having steered the West Midlands outfit to a slim 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers last time out.

Of course, Mason will know, if he can’t string together a consistent run of Championship results to move his side up the table, he could soon be back on the chopping block.

But, as the January transfer window soon reopens, the rookie head coach will pray he remains in charge, with some positive incomings into the building perhaps helping him in his long-term mission to turn around fortunes at the Hawthorns.

West Brom keen on move for Premier League youngster

Most of the talk as of late has revolved around different managers coming in to replace Mason, with Michael Carrick consistently tipped to take over, having found himself still out of work after leaving Middlesbrough.

But, some transfer murmurings are coming to the surface now as the New Year rolls around, with Daily Mail reporter Lewis Steele stating that West Brom are in the race to land Liverpool youngster James McConnell on loan.

McConnell currently finds himself out on loan at Ajax, but with his minutes continuing to be irregular in Amsterdam, it looks likely that Arne Slot’s Reds will recall him from his disappointing Eredivisie stay, and potentially loan him out to the Championship.

Previously interested in the 21-year-old’s services before he moved to the Dutch capital, West Brom would hope they could come out on top for his signature in January, but Derby County, Oxford United, and Swansea City have all also been named as other interested EFL suitors.

Mason would also love to work alongside McConnell, having been an influential figure at Spurs with the next generation coming through in North London, with the Newcastle-born midfielder perhaps even going down as a Mikey Johnston-style transfer for the under-fire 34-year-old.

Why McConnell could be a January Johnston repeat

In January of 2024, Carlos Corberan was on the search for some impactful signings to help West Brom clinch a playoff spot.

He found just what he was searching for in Johnston, with the Spaniard going on to label the Celtic loanee as a “special” talent, after he picked up a stunning seven goals and two assists from just 20 loan outings.

He hasn’t downed his tools under Mason, either, with a standout nine assists next to his name this season, as McConnell now hopes he can click in the West Brom set-up as effortlessly, if he ditches Ajax for a shot at redemption with the Baggies.

After all, despite only starting one Eredivisie game to date under John Heitinga at Ajax, it’s clear when looking at his Liverpool numbers that he could be as classy and as impactful as the Irishman, having even been noted as a youngster who is “liked” by Slot back in January.

Jurgen Klopp would also laud McConnell as “special” when the much-loved German was in charge of the Anfield giants, leading to the 21-year-old going on to make 13 senior appearances for the Reds, with one assist collected.

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His versatile nature also very much sticks out as a plus from the table above, with his 23 goal contributions across many different age groups coming from a wide variety of positions, which has even included the youngster starting at right back on occasion.

McConnell would likely need an arm around his shoulder from Mason as he tries to put the disappointment of his Ajax stay behind him, but Johnston was in this position once upon a time, having slid down the pecking order at ex-club Celtic, before moving to England.

Now, he’s a West Brom regular who is a beloved figure at the Hawthorns, with the two-time England U20 international no doubt eager to reignite his career in the same way.

Mason could soon rely on McConnell if his team is stretched towards the latter stages of the campaign, in a season that could still spring a surprise promotion push, away from persistent chatter that the hot-and-cold head coach might be axed.

West Brom now express interest in "insanely talented" manager to replace Mason

Ryan Mason could be in trouble…

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By
Dominic Lund