West Bromwich Albion supporters would have been mostly pleased with what they saw of their side last season, despite the Baggies crashing out of the Championship play-offs when everything was over and done with.
Although the West Midlands side really struggled in the second leg of their play-off exit against Southampton, as the eventual promotion-winners blew away Carlos Corberan's men 3-1 back on home turf, fans of the Championship side would just be happy with the fact they gave it their best shot.
That's the case as the Baggies are still scarred somewhat by Steve Bruce's dire previous regime, with the Spaniard taking over from the unpopular former manager when West Brom were submerged in the relegation spots during the 2022-23 season, to then take them to within touching distance of a Wembley final.
Yet, there will be frustrations all the same if the likes of Alex Mowatt and Cedric Kipre do end up walking away for nothing this summer, but there will be many a relieved face, on the contrary, at the Hawthorns that one of their colleagues is contracted until the end of next campaign, after standing out from the centre of the park last season.
West Brom's contract situation
Both Mowatt and Kipre, unlike midfield star Okay Yokuslu, could soon be leaving the West Midlands club for nothing, despite both players starring for the Baggies last campaign on the way to a top six finish being achieved.
Kipre even scored the consolation strike at St. Mary's in the lottery of the play-offs, despite being an imposing centre-back for the majority of the regular season, whilst Mowatt tried his best to steer his side to a positive outcome in both clashes against the Saints, notching up seven key passes in total across the two nail-biting contests.
Yet, despite being key performers under Corberan, both players still haven't agreed new deals, as the end of the month now comes hurtling into view, with their contracts expiring come the conclusion of June.
There is less worry about Yokuslu's immediate future ahead of the 2024/25 season, however, with the former Trabzonspor man actually forming an intimidating duo with Mowatt from the holding midfield spots, as he aims to impress again in the Championship next campaign, with or without the ex-Leeds United midfielder partnering him.
Okay Yokuslu's numbers for West Brom last season
Yokuslu has been a constant top performer under Corberan over the last two campaigns, with the 2023/24 term in particular seeing the steely defensive midfielder stand out, only missing two second-tier games all season long as a key cog.
Whilst Mowatt operates more as an attack-minded individual in the partnership – picking up five assists last season subsequently – the forceful 30-year-old loves doing the dirty work for the team more so, winning an average of 4.9 duels per game during the regular 2023/24 season, on top of completing 4.9 ball recoveries.
Games played
44
43
Goals scored
1
2
Assists
1
5
Shots total
0.89
0.91
Shot-creating actions
1.12
2.94
Passes attempted
53.68
67.30
Pass completion %
87.1%
86.1%
Progressive passes
3.72
6.57
Progressive carries
0.78
1.52
Tackles
1.84
1.64
Interceptions
1.34
0.86
Aerials won
2.24
0.97
Complementing each other well as a feared duo in the second tier when looking at the table above, it will be gutting for those involved at the Hawthorns if this partnership is no more next campaign, but Yokuslu staying is arguably more important than keeping a firm grip on Mowatt.
Corberan could look to other midfielders such as Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana to offer a similar creative spark to the one that the West Brom number 27 offers, whilst the Baggies would struggle to replace the valiant nature of their number 35 so quickly.
Yokuslu also has a rocket of a shot in his back pocket, away from just being a disruptive holding presence, as was seen with this sublime strike against Huddersfield Town last season.
Therefore, losing the standout 30-year-old would be a far bigger blow arguably, with talk surrounding his Baggies future coming to the forefront in January of this year, when a move back to his native Turkey was on the agenda.
Those rumours were eventually rubbished, as Yokuslu remained rooted in the West Midlands, but the Baggies number 35 is also worth keeping a hold of based on his increasing transfer value, which could grow even more if he excels again in the second tier next time out..
Yokuslu's transfer value at West Brom
According to Football Transfers, Yokuslu's transfer value now stands at a hefty £3.1m, with the decision by West Brom to gamble on signing the 30-year-old as a free agent back in 2022 continuing to look like a masterstroke, after initially impressing on loan at the Hawthorns.
Yokuslu's valuation now means he is actually worth more than Mowatt and Kipre combined, which might well make the agony of losing both for £0 potentially easier to stomach, with the soon-to-be free agent duo worth £2.9m altogether, at £1.5m and £1.4m respectively.
June 2024
£3.1m
December 2023
£2.9m
December 2022
£4.8m
July 2022
£0
Once worth a staggering £4.8m, just a matter of months into his permanent stay at West Brom, there will be some concerns mounting already that Yokuslu could become their next star to leave for nothing at the end of the forthcoming season, following in the footsteps of both Mowatt and Kipre, who are seeing what other options are out there before committing.
The duo leaving won't completely kill next season for the Baggies, however, with another season competing near the top-end of the Championship potentially on the horizon, especially if Mikey Johnston re-joins permanently, as per recent rumours, and Corberan stays in the managerial hot-seat.
Yokuslu will strive to become a promotion-winner for his West Midlands outfit ahead of the next campaign, with the Baggies number 35 further cementing his tag as a firm fan's favourite if that did become reality.
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