West Brom defender Erik Pieters faces an uncertain future as his contract at The Hawthorns expires this summer.
With the end of the 2023-24 season closing in, we are gettin to the time period when clubs up and down the divisions start weighing up whether they should offer new contracts to players who see their deals expire in the summer.
For West Brom, there are several members of the first-team squad who face uncertain futures, with Erik Pieters among them.
Erik Pieters’ time at West Brom
The left-sided defender joined the Baggies last season as a free agent after leaving Burnley on a free transfer.
With Pieters signing outside of the summer window in 2023, it’s fair to say it wasn’t the sort of signing that attracted a lot of attention, and he was initially signed to provide cover in defence as Steve Bruce’s side struggled.
The change in management happened around six weeks after Pieters arrival, but he became a useful figure under Carlos Corberan, making 36 appearances in the previous campaign.
Whilst he is by no means a first-team regular, Pieters has continued to feature this season, as he’s played a part in 22 games as Albion push for the Premier League.
Erik Pieters’ West Brom contract situation
Yet, it remains to be seen whether the Dutch defender will extend his stay at The Hawthorns into a third season, as the one-year deal he agreed last summer has just a few months to run.
From Albion’s perspective, they’re likely to wait until the season has finished before making a decision on any player, as from a financial and football perspective, things change if they are a Premier League side.
But, speaking to FLW, Albion fan pundit Matt explained that this summer would be the right time for Pieters to leave.
“Given the club’s ambitions, and that we could be in the Premier League next year, I think it’s time to move on from him.
“That’s not to say he’s done badly, having come in on a low wage, almost a panic signing to add depth, he’s come in and done a job, but there are some better young players at the club who could come into the team.
“He has done himself no shame, well done Erik, but it’s time to say thank you and farewell. At the age of 35, he’s not the most mobile, so you’d probably be in trouble playing Pieters in the Championship next season.
Whether Albion are successful in their bid to return to the top-flight, it promises to be an exciting summer for the club under new owner Shilen Patel.
After years of mismanagement under Guochuan Lai, the fans got the change they wanted, and whilst Patel isn’t expected to splash huge sums of cash in the summer, he will give Corberan more backing than he has had in the past.
The likes of Alex Mowatt and Kyle Bartley are among some other senior figures who are out of contract in the summer, and it will be interesting to see what happens with the players.
These conversations will no doubt take place when the season finishes, but, first things first, it’s about reaching the play-offs for West Brom and then trying to come through those high-pressure games and return to the Premier League.
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