da bwin： According to the Express and Star, West Brom have opened talks with academy product Rekeem Harper about a new contract, and boss Darren Moore should reward the central midfielder with a starting spot once his deal is agreed.
On the chalkboard
da cassino： The Baggies have been impressive so far this season and sit fifth in the Championship table after their 4-1 thrashing of Leeds before the international break.
However, Moore’s side have too often relied on their front three of Jay Rodriguez, Harvey Barnes and Dwight Gayle, with the West Midlands side struggling without the latter before his return against the Whites.
One of the main problems for Moore has been his central midfield pairing, or specifically who to start alongside Jake Livermore in the middle of the park. Chris Brunt, Gareth Barry and James Morrison have all been tried in the position but all are well into their 30s and struggle to keep up with the pace of the frantic Championship, whilst 20-year-old Sam Field has generally been limited to substitute appearances.
Moore though should fast-track Harper into his Championship starting XI once his contract is signed, as the 18-year-old is showing all the signs of developing into a top midfielder.
Legs in midfield
Harper has played just one minute of league football so far this season after coming off the bench late on against Leeds. However, he played every minute of the three Carabao Cup matches and started both of the recent England U19 European Championship qualifiers against Iceland and Turkey.
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A box-to-box midfielder, the Baggies academy product would provide Moore with some much-needed pace in midfield and there is little doubting he has the ability to adapt to the league after just a couple of starts.
Once he has committed his future to the West Midlands side, Moore should reward the talented youngster with a spot in the starting XI.