Morrison could make £8m Coventry target his first West Brom signing

West Bromwich Albion officially confirmed the appointment of James Morrison as their head coach on a permanent basis after his interim spell in the dugout.

The Baggies are on a ten-match unbeaten run under their former attacking midfielder, who has guided the team clear of the Championship relegation battle ahead of the final day.

It is a risky move by the club after their last two inexperienced hires, Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay, were both sacked this season, and it remains to be seen whether or not Morrison can sustain long-term success.

The Scottish coach has no prior experience as a first-team manager and the Baggies are hoping that the current run of form is more than just a flash in the pan.

It will be Morrison’s first ever transfer window as a manager this summer, and there is a clear area of the squad that needs to be strengthened.

The first area of the West Brom squad James Morrison must strengthen

The new West Brom boss must target natural wide players when the summer transfer window opens for business, so that attacking midfielders and central midfielders, like Isaac Price and Jayson Molumby do not have to play there each week.

Mikey Johnston, who scored two goals and provided nine assists in 34 Championship games this season, is set to return from injury next term, but the Baggies need more than just him to sustain a promotion push.

West Brom’s attackers have not produced enough quality on a consistent basis for the attack to be considered effective, which is why the club rank fifth in the division for the fewest goals scored.

Only four teams have scored fewer goals than the Baggies heading into the final game of the Championship season, which further illustrates the need for Morrison to bolster the attack this summer.

Thankfully, the club have already been linked with an interest in a star who could arrive at The Hawthorns as Morrison’s own version of Harvey Barnes.

The West Brom target who could be their next Harvey Barnes

The now-Newcastle star scored nine goals and provided eight assists in 28 appearances on loan at West Brom in the 2018/19 campaign, as a right-footed left winger.

SportsBoom recently reported that West Bromwich Albion, Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Middlesbrough are two of the teams fighting it out to sign Charleroi winger Parfait Guiagon in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claimed that the Belgian side value him at a fee of roughly £8m (or £7.7m to be precise), and it remains to be seen whether or not the Baggies can compete at that level financially.

If West Brom can get a deal done to make him their first signing of the Morrison era, Guiagon could emerge as the manager’s own version of Barnes with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis.

As aforementioned, Johnston has provided assists consistently, but has struggled to score goals week-in-week-out. That is why the Baggies need a forward who can offer a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

There is not a player in the current squad like they used to have with Barnes, which is why Guiagon would be a perfect first signing for Morrison to fix a key issue in the team in the wide department.

The Ivorian attacker, who can play as a left winger or as a number ten, has shown that he can score and assist goals in almost equal measure, with 15 goals and 12 assists in the Pro League since the start of last season.

Bringing in a player like Guiagon who can be a match-winner with goals and assists could be exactly what Morrison needs to make his defensively solid West Brom team, who have kept five successive clean sheets in the league, a promotion contender next term.

If the Baggies can improve their attacking output whilst remaining solid defensively, they will be an incredibly hard team to take points off in the Championship next season.