Joseph Masi of the Express and Star said days ago that West Bromwich Albion are on the hunt for a right-back to compete with Darnell Furlong next season, naming Nathan Byrne as a potential option.

The Baggies aren’t blessed with lucrative funds this summer, so they’re mostly having to target players whose contracts have expired. Byrne fits the bill as his deal at Derby County is up in the coming weeks, but is he good enough for Albion?

The 30-year-old joined the Rams on a two-year deal from Wigan Athletic in 2020 and has gone on to make 82 appearances in all competitions, grabbing six assists.

Byrne made 41 Championship appearances this season, picking up two assists, making 63 tackles, having 35 interceptions, making 72 clearances, blocking 29 shots/passes/crosses, having 39 successful dribbles, winning 39 aerial duels, creating 21 passes and whipping in 141 crosses.

The uncapped Englishman looks combative defensively (more tackles than Furlong) and effective in attack (more crosses than Matt Phillips), so he could be a good option for West Brom. And being a free transfer at the end of June means he won’t break the bank either.

In other news, Ryan Nyambe is a decent option for West Brom