West Brom defender Ethan Ingram is apparently considering his options as his contract with the Baggies expires, with EFL and Scottish teams showing interest, according to The Mirror’s Daniel Marsh.
The 21-year-old defender’s contract with West Brom technically expires on June 30, and he wants to make the correct decision at this time in his promising career.
Ingram played the season on loan with League Two club Salford City after spending several seasons on the margins of The Hawthorns’ first-team squad.
As the West Brom academy product and former England youth international’s current contract expires, teams in England and Scotland are eyeing a potential free move for the right-back.
Ethan Ingram set to make decision on West Brom future
According to The Mirror journalist Daniel Marsh, Baggies defender Ingram is currently making his mind up over the next step he is to take in his career.
West Brom released their retained list for the 2023/24 season towards the end of May, and in that list was confirmation that Ingram had been offered a new contract to remain at the club.
This is a contract that the youngster hasn’t yet put pen to paper on, and as the time ticks down towards the end of June, clubs are preparing to swoop for the promising defender.
Marsh confirms that interest is growing from League One sides, as well as clubs in Scotland, as it appears his name will be a highly sought after one should he hit the free agent market.
After progressing through Albion’s academy ranks in impressive fashion from 2019 onwards, Ingram was handed his senior debut in an EFL Cup tie back in the 2021/22 season, in a 6-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Since then, he has gone on to feature just twice for the Baggies’ first team, with both of those appearances also coming exclusively in the EFL Cup.
Ingram was handed his first taste of consistent senior football last season with League Two outfit Salford, during which he’d impress at The Peninsula Stadium, racking up 26 appearances in all competitions.
West Brom may need Ethan Ingram next season as right-back cover
Despite Ingram being yet to make his league debut as a Baggies player, Albion could find themselves in a position where his services are needed next season.
That is because current starting right-back, Darnell Furlong, has reportedly been made available for a transfer away from the club this summer.
Journalist Alan Nixon revealed via his Patreon late last month that Albion will sell the 28-year-old this summer, as he only has 12 months remaining on his contract at The Hawthorns.
Nixon stated that a fee of £2 million may be all that is required to sign Furlong, as they look to raise funds in order to improve other areas of the playing squad.
With Furlong being the only senior and natural right-back at the club, should he leave before Ingram makes his decision, it would leave the youngster as the only senior right-back option.
As such, Ingram could well play a bigger role than he, and indeed many might have predicted next season, especially if the Baggies encounter difficulties sourcing a more proven replacement for Furlong in the transfer market.
Therefore, Ingram has potentially a very interesting decision to make in the coming days. Does he sign a contract extension with West Brom in the hopes he can thrust himself into the starting lineup next season?
Or does he take the more likely route to guarantee more regular football further down the EFL pyramid, or perhaps by venturing north of the border?