West Brom should pursue move for Tottenham Hotspur wonderkid, Ryan Mason knows him very well
Ryan Mason could trust in his Tottenham Hotspur roots to sign a youngster with brilliant EFL experience for West Brom.
West Brom appointed Ryan Mason as head coach ahead of the 2025/26 Championship season.
After a deflating finish to the 2024/25 Championship campaign under Tony Mowbray, there will be expectations that the former Tottenham Hotspur coach can deliver a play-off finish.
Mason has already been significantly backed by the board after the Baggies signed Aune Heggebo from Norwegian outfit Brann.
Heggebo has arrived at West Brom for £4.7m; a sign that the hierarchy at the club are willing to give Mason the tools to deliver a brilliant campaign.
There are still gaps in Mason’s side that need to be filled in the summer transfer window, including the midfield, something that the West Brom coach will be keen to resolve by bringing in a player he knows very well.
West Brom should target Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jamie Donley
West Brom would significantly benefit by bringing in a forward-thinking and creative attacking midfielder, which opens up the possibility of the Baggies possibly exploring a deal for Tottenham Hotspur youngster Jamie Donley.
Donley, 20, has strong connections to Baggies boss Ryan Mason, with the pair’s spells at Spurs overlapping.
During Mason’s spell as assistant at Tottenham, Donley notched four appearances for Ange Postecoglou’s side, accumulating 11 minutes of action from off the bench.
Donley’s breakthrough came last season at Leyton Orient, with the Spurs man playing an integral role for the club, overachieving to reach the League One play-off final, only to lose to Charlton Athletic.
Ryan Mason can get the best out of Jamie Donley
With a total of eight goals and 10 assists in 39 League One fixtures, it would be likely that such a record would translate well into Championship football, and Mason would be perfect to help the youngster hit the heights.
Donley will be keen to follow up his top season with Leyton Orient by not only playing at a higher level but also doing so under a coach who will get the best out of him.
There will no doubt be many Championship clubs with a desire to take a chance on Donley this season, but West Brom fans can be confident that Mason’s influence could make them front runners, if such a deal were pursued.