West Bromwich Albion's Morrison Hopeful for More Signings

West Bromwich Albion head coach James Morrison says he is “hopeful” of adding more faces before the transfer window shuts – and the next one could be very familiar.

The Championship club are close to finalising a deal with Manchester United to bring back midfielder Toby Collyer, this time on a permanent basis. The move, understood to be worth up to £7.6m, would see the 20-year-old return to The Hawthorns after his loan spell in the first half of last season.

It would be another significant piece in a squad Morrison believes is being rebuilt with brains rather than brute spending.

Collyer close as Albion keep building

Talks with United over Collyer have been ongoing, with West Brom pushing to re-sign a player who impressed in flashes during his previous stint. Now they are on the brink of getting their man again, this time with long‑term security attached.

While that deal edges towards completion, Morrison has already started work on bedding in his latest arrival, Spanish winger Kareem Tunde, who joined from Levante this week.

“It’s a big opportunity for him, coming to a new culture, still only being 21,” Morrison told BBC Radio WM. “He’s an exciting prospect and an exciting player, so we’re delighted to have him.

“It just gives us different options now and I felt like we’ve always missed that little bit in games where we could stretch our opposition and he’s got that pace and power that we’ve been looking for.”

Tunde becomes the eighth new signing of the summer. Morrison, though, has no intention of easing off before the 1 September deadline.

“I am hopeful,” he said of further business. “There’s been a lot of hard work been going on behind the scenes. We have to do things a little bit differently, we have to be clever about it and I felt that we’ve been doing that because we’ve had a lot of signings.”

Fast start, tougher tests

The flurry of arrivals has not disrupted West Brom’s rhythm. Quite the opposite. Morrison’s side have opened the Championship campaign with two wins from two, laying down an early marker after last season’s frustrations.

Now comes a fixture loaded with personal history for the head coach.

Albion travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday, last season’s beaten play-off finalists and the club where Morrison grew up, learned the game and launched his professional career. The narrative writes itself, but the 38-year-old insists the emotion no longer overwhelms him.

“I’ve been back many times and played, so I’m over that,” he said.

“I can remember my first one going back and I was all over the place, I was terrible. So I learnt from that experience.

“I think my last time there as a player, I ended up scoring and I still remember that feeling. So I’m really looking forward to the game, but also I know this is going to be one of the toughest away fixtures we’ll face.

“But they’ve [the Albion players] set a standard now and they can’t let it drop.”

A squad still under construction. A perfect league start. A hometown test against a promotion rival. Morrison wants more signings, yes – but his message is already clear enough: the bar has been raised, and there will be no excuses if it slips.