West Bromwich Albion are not completely secure in their playoff position in the Championship, with a far nervier final game of the regular season coming up this weekend as a result.
Carlos Corberan's men looked like absolute certainties to make the top six without any fears of dropping out of the playoff picture at one point, but with three second-tier defeats on the spin now, Preston North End could really sour the mood at the Hawthorns on Saturday by winning and denying the Baggies a route back into the Premier League.
Away from this current drama, the powers that be at West Brom will be also be contemplating what the playing squad will look like next season soon with the likes of Cedric Kipre and Alex Mowatt nearing the end of their current deals.
To potentially fix the issue surrounding Kipre's future in the West Midlands, the Baggies could look towards this young trialist as a new centre-back option who might well end up being their next Mason Holgate.
West Brom looking at Everton trialist
According to a report from Express and Star, West Brom are casting an eye over exciting 19-year-old Everton defender Ed Jones who featured for the Baggies U21s last match versus Leeds United on trial.
Playing in the first 45 minutes against the Whites, with the youthful Baggies winning 4-2 overall courtesy of a returning Josh Maja bagging a double, Jones will look to try and win a contract at West Brom with his current Everton deal expiring in June.
Playing for the Toffees in various different age brackets at youth level now – with Jones last playing for the U21s before this Baggies trial with ten appearances next to his name this season in Premier League 2 – the teenager will no doubt view a move to the Hawthorns as his first big chance to try and make the leap up to the men's game.
Corberan's men will hope Jones can be a similar star, if a permanent deal can be reached, to that of Holgate who is still fondly remembered for a loan stint in West Brom quarters back in 2019 joining from Goodison Park.
Jones as the next Holgate
Holgate became an instant fan's favourite at the Hawthorns when signed as a deadline day deal by Darren Moore, with the 6-foot defender primarily used at right-back during his impactful half-season loan.
Opening up after this loan spell that he 'loved every minute' at West Brom, with an impressive goal and four assists tallied up playing out from the back from 21 outings, Corberan's side will hope Jones can be as useful as Holgate once was but on a permanent basis.
The Spanish Baggies boss will be utilising the 19-year-old strictly in the heart of defence if he impresses past this trial stint however, with Kipre looking like he could be heading out of the exit door soon.
With Erik Pieters and Kyle Bartley also representing an ageing back four in the West Midlands at centre-back – with a combined age of 67 between the pair of them – Jones could be the fresher body West Brom desire that gets more chances over the experienced heads soon especially if the promotion-chasers stay put in the second tier.
Once trying to re-sign Holgate after the Everton man had exited Hawthorns in the blink of an eye after excelling, Jones might well be their next defender brought in from the Toffees with the same success.
They'll just have to hope they get the version they saw at the Hawthorns, rather than the defender who's had a torrid time of it with relegated Sheffield United.
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