West Brom players start to think about their futures as contract decisions are made.

West Bromwich Albion players have began to discuss their futures and reflect on the recently concluded Championship season, including Matt Phillips, the Baggies’ longest-serving player, who has left The Hawthorns after eight years with the club. Albion, who were defeated in the play-off semi-finals by Southampton, must now make decisions on a number of first-team and youth players whose contracts are set to expire this summer. Phillips leads a group that includes fellow senior Kyle Bartley, crucial players Alex Mowatt and Cedric Kipre, plus midfield understudies Nathaniel Chalobah and Yann M’Vila. Erik Pieters, Martin Kelly, and Adam Reach are also on the roster.

Phillips was signed by Tony Pulis in 2016, and despite a spate of significant injuries during his tenure in the Black Country, he went on to make 255 appearances for Albion, scoring 31 goals and providing 31 assists while playing under eight different permanent managers.

He has thanked his supporters and stated that the club would ‘always be in my heart’. Phillips lauded Carlos Corberan as ‘unbelievable’ and expressed hope that Albion can succeed after his departure. “On behalf of me and my family, I would like to say a massive thank you for your support over the last eight years, Baggies,” Phillips wrote on his Instagram account. “Former and current players, managers, training ground workers, stadium staff, and everyone in between! This club will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish it continued prosperity. You have an incredible manager and a fantastic set of boys who strive every day to make you all proud.”

Meanwhile, midfielder Chalobah intimated that his time at Fulham is finished; he signed an 18-month contract in January 2023, but his participation dwindled after the arrival of M’Vila, and his last start came in a defeat to Sunderland in mid-April. He just wrote: “Thank you, Baggies #NC14.”

Mowatt, like Kipre, is a player that many Albion fans would like to see stay at The Hawthorns; his three-year contract is set to expire, but his time at the club really came to life this season under Corberan, and he remained an integral part of the starting XI throughout the season. He didn’t say whether he’d continue at the club or leave for pastures new, but simply posted: “Gutted with how it ended, but thank you for all your support this season, it’s been unbelievable.”

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