One of West Bromwich Albion’s most exciting talents is being linked with a move away from The Hawthorns, in what could prove to be a repeat of the situation which saw Nathan Ferguson depart in 2020.
According to Football Insider, both Wolves and QPR are eyeing a move for Ethan Ingram, whose future with the Baggies is in doubt as he has just 18 months left on contract at the club.
The 19-year-old is yet to make his league debut for Albion but is highly regarded at West Brom, as he is already an England U20 international.
Ingram has featured twice in the Carabao Cup for the Baggies, making his senior debut against Arsenal in 2021 before a 45-minute appearance against Derby County under Steve Bruce earlier in the season.
However, his lack of appearances under incumbent manager Carlos Corberan could see him seek pastures new, especially if his impressive form with the U21s continues to go unrewarded.
In 41 appearances for that age group, Ingram has provided one goal and nine assists, featuring as a right-back, centre-back and right midfielder, which emphasises his ability and versatility.
While his lack of game-time under Corberan is understandable given the Baggies’ superb form since the Spaniard’s arrival in October, he should be given assurances over his playing time if West Brom want to avoid losing yet another talented youngster.
In 2020, Ferguson completed a move to Crystal Palace on a free transfer, which later went to a tribunal. He had forced his way into the first team at West Brom, making 21 appearances in total and contributing one goal and one assist.
This contract dispute came just a few months after Palace had agreed to an £8m deal for the young defender, only for a January 2020 move to be called off due to an injury issue which was flagged in the medical.
While his time at Selhurst Park has been something of a nightmare due to constant injury problems, it was still seen as a big blow for West Brom at the time to lose such a promising academy graduate for a minimal transfer fee.
Therefore, unless Corberan starts giving Ingram more playing time, or a new contract, it would perhaps not be a surprise to see another teenage prodigy depart The Hawthorns for chickenfeed in the near future.
