West Brom are nine games away from a return to the Premier League.
The thought of the Baggies playing top-flight football next season will be a mouth-watering prospect for the fanbase, as will the thought of the summer transfer window.
With newly promoted sides such as Fulham and Aston Villa not hesitating to spend huge amounts over the past couple of seasons, the Midlands club could soon be splashing out on big-name talent if they are promoted.
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We’ve already been over the fact that Albion should be considering the prospect of signing a few of their loanees on permanent deals, but over the past few weeks another summer priority has become increasingly evident.
Indeed, the Baggies were without Romaine Sawyers for three games after he was sent off against Bristol City, and their depth in the midfield shows that they need to bolster that spot upon promotion.
Their options weren’t necessarily terrible choices in the Championship as they could call upon former Premier League winner Gareth Barry or highly-rated 19-year-old Rekeem Harper, but in the top-flight, those two just wouldn’t cut the mustard.
The fact that the pair have just 277 Championship minutes this season between them attests to Bilic’s reluctance to get them involved, and in the Premier League it’d be that much harder for him to feel confident when calling upon these players.
Harper is unproven, while Barry is seemingly over the hill at 39, and that is a combination that you don’t want between your second and third choice midfield players.
Football is a very physical game, and injuries could easily see Sawyers or Jake Livermore sidelined for significant periods next season.
The Baggies are unlikely to be one of the Premier League’s dominant sides next term, and they’ll need to be as strong as possible if injuries affect their key players.
Strengthening in central midfield is an absolute must for technical director Luke Dowling.
In other news, Slaven Bilic should make this simple switch.