West Brom transfer state of play as Gardner-Hickman & O’Brien links are addressed

West Brom’s Taylor Gardner-Hickman could leave the club this month – but it’s understood that if the versatile academy product does, it won’t be to neighbours Birmingham City. There have been suggestions on social media this week that boyhood Baggie Gardner-Hickman is of interest to Blues and other clubs in the Championship before the window closes, but BirminghamLive has been told that Blues won’t be moving for the midfielder.

Gardner-Hickman, 21, broke into the Albion first-team under Valerien Ismael in 2021 and has spent the last 18 months or so in and around the first-team, making 50 league appearances and, last season, finding the net in the wins over Reading and Blackpool. Gardner-Hickman’s versatility has proven to be a useful trait – considered in the long-term to be a box-to-box central midfielder, he has also provided cover at right-back and even filled in as a left wing-back a couple of seasons ago.

The Telford-born utility man was even asked to operate further forwards in pre-season, especially in the 2-2 draw at Salford when, as a number ten, he scored two excellent goals. Gardner-Hickman has struggled to nail down a regular starting spot under either Steve Bruce or current boss Carlos Corberan and, such is the nature of Albion’s finances, that has led to speculation that Gardner-Hickman could leave his boyhood club this summer. Blues, though, aren’t believed to be interested at this moment in bringing TGH to St Andrew’s.

Gardner-Hickman, who most recently captained a young team which headed to Forest Green Rovers last week before heading up with the bulk of the first team to Bolton Wanderers a day later, signed a bumper deal when he broke into the first-team, which runs until 2026. As things stand, he is expected to be involved in the Baggies’ 20-man squad which will travel to Blackburn for their season opener this weekend.

Meanwhile, there has been no contact between Albion and Nottingham Forest regarding the services of Lewis O’Brien. Again, more rumours emerged online this week that former Huddersfield Town captain O’Brien, who worked with Corberan at the John Smith’s Stadium and helped the Terriers to a third-placed finish in 2022, was on Albion’s radar, but it’s understood that that, for the time being anyway, is a non-starter.

O’Brien spent the second half of last season in the MLS playing under Wayne Rooney for DC United, after his deadline day move to Blackburn dramatically fell through when it was deemed that the relevant paperwork had not been submitted to the EFL in time. He had only signed for Nottingham Forest last summer, but his game time looks to be in short supply under Steve Cooper and while it’s understood he’s open minded about moving again in order to secure regular minutes, a move to Albion hasn’t been discussed.