West Bromwich Albion head coach James Morrison is set to enter his first ever summer transfer window as a senior manager after landing the job on a permanent basis.

He is tasked with building a squad that can compete for promotion, rather than relegation, from the Championship and will be up against plenty of divisional rivals in the transfer market.

For example, Middlesbrough lost to Hull City in the play-off final at Wembley last month and they will be eyeing promotion-quality signings to bolster their squad.

West Brom and Boro, in fact, have already both been linked with the same player, as they are said to be keen on a deal for Southampton forward Ben Brereton Diaz, who spent this season on loan at Derby County.

Whilst they will both be looking to improve their squads, the two Championship promotion contenders also have to be wary of losing their current stars.

The stars most likely to leave West Brom and Middlesbrough this summer

For Boro, Championship Player of the Year Hayden Hackney seems the most likely to secure a move to the Premier League in the summer transfer window.

The attacking midfielder, who produced six goals and seven assists in the 2025/26 campaign, has been linked with Spurs, Everton, and Nottingham Forest, among others, with a reported £25m price tag on his head.

Hackney, therefore, could be on his way out of Teeside because there is growing Premier League interest in the England U21 international, and he may not want to wait another year, at least, to get to the top level.

Meanwhile, Isaac Price looks the most likely candidate to secure a top-flight move from the Baggies after he racked up 15 goals and 'big chances' created combined in the Championship this season.

Everton, Crystal Palace, and Fulham have all been credited with an interest in the Northern Ireland international, who may be available for a fee of £17m.

The reported Premier League suitors for both Price and Hackney suggest that both clubs could be in the market for a midfielder who can contribute with goals and assists on a regular basis.

West Brom must rival Middlesbrough to the signing of £5m EFL star

Middlesbrough have been linked with Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Alfie Devine, who spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Preston North End.

The Lilywhites have already decided to activate their option to sign the player permanently for around £5m, but they still have to convince him to make the move and other Championship sides are said to be wanting to hijack the deal.

With this in mind, West Brom and Boro should both be looking to rival Preston to his signature, as the Baggies may need a player like him if Price moves on from The Hawthorns this summer.

Like both Hackney and Price, Devine provided quality at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis from a central or attacking midfield position at Deepdale.

The 21-year-old talent, on loan from Spurs, proved himself to be one of the most exciting young stars in the EFL as he ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in the Championship as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

He produced four more assists than Price and two more goals than Hackney, whilst the former scored one more goals and the latter produced one more assist in all competitions.

Devine, 21, is also younger than Price, 22, and Hackney, 23, and could be an excellent investment for Boro or West Brom, as he has the potential to develop into a high-value asset in the future.

He was more productive at the top end of the pitch in the Championship than both of them, yet they are valued at £17m and £25m, whilst he is available for a fee of just £5m.

That is why Boro and West Brom must both make offers to sign the Spurs youngster immediately in an attempt to convince him to turn down Preston, because he would be the perfect like-for-like replacement for Price or Hackney.