West Brom have seen Caleb Taylor impress out on loan on a number of occasions now, and the time has come for him to be offered a step up.
When West Brom defender Caleb Taylor made the move on deadline day last summer to spend the season in League One, it turned out to be a great decision for the 22-year-old’s development. The WBA man became a key part of Wycombe Wanderers’s push for promotion before ultimately falling short in the play-offs against Charlton Athletic.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on an automatic promotion place and eventually a chance to play at Wembley, Taylor’s progress means he can be someone for Ryan Mason to keep an eye on when the squad returns for pre-season.
His loan spell was temporarily cut short in January amid a short-lived injury crisis in defence, but Taylor did play for the Baggies this season in their Emirates FA Cup tie against Bournemouth.
He gave West Brom an early lead that day, before the Baggies fell to a 5-1 defeat on the South Coast. Taylor spent the next three games on the bench before returning to Wycombe for the remainder of the season.
Defensive departures mean Ryan Mason needs centre-back options
Within their released and retained list, West Brom announced that Semi Ajayi and Mason Holgate would be leaving the club following the expiry of their contracts and loan spells. This leaves Torbjorn Heggem, Kyle Bartley and Caleb Taylor as their only recognised options at centre-back.
With Bartley turning 34 in May and in the final year of his contract, it would be smart for WBA to prepare for life without the former Swansea City man. Fresh off the back of a year playing for a promotion-chasing League One side, Taylor sharing minutes with Bartley seems like a sensible option for Mason.
While the Baggies would need to go into the market for at least one more centre-back to have enough depth in defence, Taylor’s season at Adams Park displayed he is ready to be called upon.
While the Baggies would need to go into the market for at least one more centre-back to have enough depth in defence, Taylor’s season at Adams Park displayed he is ready to be called upon.
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