During the summer transfer window, Carlos Corberan’s Baggies approved nine players to leave The Hawthorns. The Black Country team obtained a £20 million loan from MSD Holdings in exchange for an investment from Guochuan Lai, who currently holds controlling shareholdership. As a result, the Baggies need to raise money right away.
Taylor Gardner-Hickman, an academy graduate, was among those leaving The Hawthorns. He had plummeted in the West Midlands’ hierarchy due to Albion’s abundance of seasoned EFL midfield players.
The adaptable 20-year-old rose through West Brom’s development ranks in 2021, earning his Carabao Cup debut under Valerien Ismael in a 6-0 loss to Arsenal in the second round.
In October 2022, the Telford native secured his first goal as a professional against Reading, following the signing of a new four-and-a-half-year contract that would keep him with the team until 2026.
However, because West Brom was in dire need of cash and certain important assets, Albion approved Gardner-Hickman’s loan move to Bristol City and included an option to buy for an alleged £1.3 million.
Gardner-Hickman will have an opportunity to save his West Brom career if the Robins decide against using the buyout clause. As the campaign has shown, it is feasible for two returning players to make their way back into the starting lineup.
This summer, Gardner-Hickman relocated to Ashton Gate, where he has alternated between playing right back and defensive midfield.
Gardner-Hickman started the final five games of Nigel Pearson’s tenure after initially playing off the bench. In late October, the 60-year-old was relieved of his duties due to a poor run of form.
Although it’s still unknown how Gardner-Hickman will fit into new Bristol City manager Liam Manning’s plans, the loanee started last weekend’s game against Sheffield Wednesday under interim manager Curtis Fleming.
Gardner-Hickman has made 11 appearances in the Championship, however he has not scored a goal. However, he has provided two assists against Coventry City and Leeds United.
Who has impressed so far at West Brom this season?
Gardner-Hickman can take inspiration from returning loanees Cedric Kipre and Alex Mowatt, who were both moved out last summer under Steve Bruce.
Kipre was a fan-favourite for the Bluebirds last campaign, with the Ivorian featuring 42 times in South Wales as Cardiff maintained their second-tier status with a 21st placed finish.
After an initial error on the opening day against Blackburn Rovers, Kipre has exceeded expectations and turned into a colossus in the Baggies’ backline, contributing to the club keeping the most clean sheets so far this term with seven.
Because of his superior game sense and dominating power in duals, Kipre has been able to make a lot of goal-saving tackles and has made it difficult for Championship strikers to win against him.
As a result, Kipre has played 1,238 minutes and started 14 of Albion’s 15 second-tier games thus far.
However, Mowatt joined Middlesbrough, managed by Michael Carrick, and had a far better season than West Brom, helping the Teesside team qualify for the play-offs before losing to Coventry in the semi-final.
In spite of his inability to establish himself as a consistent starter at Riverside Stadium, 28-year-old Mowatt was crucial to Boro’s late-season success as they finished the season in the top six.
Like Kipre, Mowatt has made 14 appearances so far this season under Corberan. He scored at Preston North End to help the Lilywhites suffer their first home loss of the year.
With two players who were formerly banished from the West Midlands finding success, Gardner-Hickman is well-positioned to make his own return in a blue and white shirt.
Can Taylor Gardner-Hickman have a West Brom future?
Even if Gardner-Hickman is unable to sign a long-term deal with Bristol City, having played in the Championship for the entire season and accrued significant playing time would undoubtedly help him grow as a player and better prepare him for the rigours of the second division every week.
The ability of Gardner-Hickman to play in both midfield and defence is a useful quality in a Corberan system. Matt Phillips, a former Scottish international who can play both forward and defence on occasion, is a prime example of how well under the Spaniard Phillips can lead the line.
Since both Kipre and Mowatt have raised their games to stake claims for regular first-team minutes, Gardner-Hickman may have a chance to replicate that as he still has a lot of potential in the early stages of his senior career. Mowatt and Nathaniel Chalobah are midfielders whose contracts expire in the summer of 2020, which could also allow the England youth international to force his way back into the first-team fold if the duo depart the club.
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