West Brom may have to make decisions on the futures of a number of players come the summer transfer window.
With contracts and loan deals expiring, the Baggies will have to decide which individuals they want to keep as part of Carlos Corberan‘s squad.
Of course, they may also want to bring new players to The Hawthorns. To do that, they may need to move on some of those currently at the club.
One individual facing a somewhat uncertain future at is Kyle Bartley. The centre back is set to see his current contract with West Brom expire in the summer.
However, it appears there is some desire for him to be handed a new deal by the club.
Kyle Bartley contract claim made
Despite some injury issues, Bartley has remained an important player for West Brom this season.
The 32-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions during the current campaign. In that time, he has scored three goals and provided one assist.
There are therefore questions about whether the centre back should be given a new contract by the club.
Speaking on The Baggies Broadcast Podcast about whether he would give Bartley a new deal, The Express and Star’s West Brom reporter Lewis Cox said:
“I would. I think I would be even more inclined if Albion didn’t go up, so we’re talking Championship. I don’t think it’s any secret that as one of the longer-serving players he’s one of the higher earners in the squad. Clearly that can’t be maintained.
“Premier League again, slightly different conversation isn’t it, we know it drastically changes figures when you win promotion. But at this level given his age – and he is only 32, turning 33 I believe – so yes he’s getting on but not mid-thirties yet.
“So certainly another year at least I would, at this level, on reduced wages, just in terms of where Albion are as a club and where they need to be in terms of dramatically reducing their overall bill.”
On the pitch, Bartley and his teammates are next in action when they host Bristol City at The Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon.
West Brom should be looking at new Kyle Bartley deal
It would feel foolish of West Brom not to be looking into a new deal for Bartley.
While he may be approaching the latter stages of his career, he does not seem to be there just yet.
The 32-year-old has still produced some excellent performances for the Baggies this season, showing how important he can be to this side.
Indeed, the resurgence his West Brom career has had since Corberan took over, also means a new deal for the centre back could be popular at The Hawthorns.
Of course, things may still change considerably one way or another, depending on how the promotion battle plays out of the coming weeks.
However, a new contract for Bartley does not feel like it ought to be ruled out at this stage, given his importance and popularity around the club.
With all that considered, it seems as though West Brom need to be keeping an open mind when it comes to the future of the centre back.