Published Oct 6, 2026, 8:15 AM GMT+1

The Baggies entered the first international break of the 2026/27 campaign in fifth place in the division after winning four, drawing two, and losing two of their opening eight matches.

James Morrison is aiming to become the first West Brom manager since Slaven Bilic to guide the club to promotion to the Premier League at The Hawthorns.

The former Scotland international will need his attacking players to step up to the mark and deliver consistently, though, just as Matheus Pereira did for Bilic.

West Brom signed the left-footed attacking midfielder on an initial season-long loan from Portuguese giants Sporting in the summer of 2019, and he hit the ground running in English football.

The Brazilian star, who could play as a number ten or on the right flank, carried the Baggies to promotion by delivering consistent quality at the top end of the pitch.

He ended the 2019/20 Championship campaign with an eye-catching return of eight goals and six assists in 42 appearances in the division, leading the team to promotion to the Premier League.

Pereira was the kind of mercurial attacking talent who could go and change a game with a moment of magic, which meant that the Baggies could still pick up points when they were not playing well as a team because they had a brilliant individual.

It is a luxury to be able to put in underwhelming or average performances and still win in the Championship, which is such a competitive league, and that is why having a player like the Brazilian was so important to the team's success that season.

How West Brom can sign their next Matheus Pereira

Now, in the present day, Morrison could unearth his own version of Matheus Pereira by urging the board to sign a Premier League talent in the January transfer window.

Arsenal attacking midfielder Max Dowman is set to potentially be available on a loan deal when the January transfer window opens for business at the turn of the year.

Norwich City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Burnley have already spoken to the Premier League champions about a move for the England youth international, who will be eligible for a loan when he turns 17 in December.

West Brom have not been linked with genuine interest in the left-footed forward, but Morrison should be pushing the club to join the race for his signature to bolster the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The Baggies must beat their local rivals Wolves to his services because the English youngster could be the Championship's new version of Matheus Pereira.

Like the former West Brom star, Dowman is a left-footed playmaker who can operate centrally as a number ten or by coming onto his left foot from the right flank.

From U18 level up to the first-team, the midfield talent has racked up 42 goal contributions in 52 matches for Arsenal, including three goals in 15 first-team appearances.

Dowman recently scored his first senior brace by finding the back of the net two times in a win against Premier League side Ipswich Town in the League Cup, which shows that he can impact games against top-flight opposition.

The Tractor Boys earned automatic promotion from the Championship in the 2025/26 campaign and Dowman has shown that he can deliver quality in the final third against that level of opponent, which suggests that he could thrive in the second tier.

Despite only being 16, the England U20 international has shown remarkable consistency as an attacking threat at youth and senior level already, and he could be a phenomenal addition to West Brom's squad on loan in January.

Like Matheus Pereira, Dowman is an attacking midfielder who can turn an average performance into a good one with a moment of magic with the ball at his feet, which is why he could help the Baggies to get over the line in the promotion race this season.