£3m star’s West Brom career could be over if Morrison re-signs Reyes Cleary

West Bromwich Albion head coach James Morrison has moved quickly to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch in the summer transfer window.

Centre-forward Barney Stewart has been brought in on a permanent deal from Falkirk to replace Daryl Dike, who left at the end of his contract at the start of this month.

The Scottish marksman scored 18 goals in all competitions in the 2025/26 campaign for Falkirk and Dunfermline combined, and he will compete with Aune Heggebo for a starting berth.

Jimmy-Jay Morgan has also been brought in on a permanent deal from Chelsea after the attacking midfielder plundered 14 goals on loan at League One side Peterborough United last term.

Stewart and Morgan may not be the only forwards added to the squad this summer, though, as they have also been linked with Barnsley winger Reyes Cleary.

Why West Brom made a mistake with Reyes Cleary

The Baggies made a huge mistake with the English forward because he came up through their youth ranks and excelled at academy level, scoring 57 goals for the club’s U18s and U21s combined.

Despite his extraordinary academy form, Cleary was only given 55 minutes of first-team action across two substitute appearances by the club in the Championship before being sold to Barnsley last summer.

12 months later, the 22-year-old is valued at £3m by the League One side after a breakthrough campaign with seven goals and 16 assists in all competitions in the 2025/26 season.

The Baggies did not give him enough opportunity to showcase his quality in the first-team at The Hawthorns, and his Barnsley form should not come as a surprise, given what he produced for West Brom’s academy.

Now, Morrison can correct the club’s mistake by swooping to bring him back after just 12 months, in order to bolster the quality of his options in the wide areas.

Birmingham City have also been linked with the left-sided attacker, though, so it will not be an easy job to convince him to come back to The Hawthorns in the coming weeks, even if they are willing to pay the £3m asking price.

The West Brom player who could suffer if Reyes Cleary signs

If Morrison is able to clinch a deal to bring Cleary back to the club before the end of the summer transfer window, it could be bad news for one of his current players.

Mikey Johnston watched on from the sidelines at the end of the season as his teammates secured survival in the Championship, as he sustained a season-ending injury at the end of February.

The Ireland international’s campaign was a mixed bag before his injury, as he struggled with consistency at the top end of the pitch and did not offer much of a goal threat for the team.

A return of nine assists in 34 matches is far from a poor return for the winger, who was signed from Celtic for £3m in the summer of 2024, but the Baggies should expect more than two goals in 34 matches from one of their forwards.

Consistency was also an issue for Johnston. Prior to his injury, the 27-year-old attacker did not score or assist a goal in 13 consecutive matches in all competitions.

Since signing permanently from the Hoops ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, the Irishman has scored two goals and provided 15 assists in 78 matches in all competitions for the club.

Cleary, meanwhile, produced seven goals and 16 assists for Barnsley in the 2025/26 season alone, which suggests that he has the potential to offer much more quality and consistency at the top end of the pitch, particularly as a goalscorer.

The English youngster, therefore, could come in and take Johnston’s place in the starting line-up on a regular basis, which could leave him struggling for game time next term.

Johnston has only played nine of his 98 appearances for the Baggies as a right-winger, including his initial loan spell, and it is not a position that he is comfortable in, which means that he may not make the starting line-up very often if Cleary takes that position.

Therefore, the return of the 22-year-old talent could end up being the beginning of the end for Johnston, who may have to think about his future at The Hawthorns if a better left-sided winger is in the building.