Premier League rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland’s latest transfer news must make Championship club West Bromwich Albion envy.

West Brom had a difficult 2025/26 second-tier season, surviving relegation to League One by four points after receiving a two-point deduction from the EFL for breaking the governing body’s financial guidelines.

The Baggies’ tumultuous campaign was aided by the dismissal of former managers Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay, leaving James Morrison in interim command for the remainder of the season.

Albion have since appointed Morrison as permanent manager, and he hopes to supervise a successful summer transfer window, allowing his side to have a more prosperous 2026/27 Championship season.

Newcastle and Sunderland are among a number of top-tier clubs interested in Michael Parker.

Despite their terrible performance, West Brom made some significant moves in the winter transfer window, including the signing of former Bristol City goalkeeper Max O’Leary and the loan signing of Danny Imray from Crystal Palace.

O’Leary first joined the Baggies from the Robins on a short-term agreement, but he has now signed a new three-year contract that will keep him at The Hawthorns until 2029.

Meanwhile, during the winter transfer window, Albion allowed defender Michael Parker to conclude a permanent move to Swedish top flight club Orgryte.

Parker made no senior appearances for the Black Country club, instead spending time on loan with Hereford in the National League North and playing for the Baggies Under-21s.

However, Orgryte has given him more playing time, with 10 Allsvenskan matches and three more in the Svenska Cupen.

According to journalist Rudy Galetti of X, Sunderland, Newcastle, Brentford, Copenhagen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sturm Graz, Sporting CP, and RB Salzburg are all interested in the 21-year-old, with bids likely soon.

If Parker joins one of those top-flight clubs, certainly one of the Premier League trio, West Brom will regret the fact that they parted ways with him.

The former Shrewsbury Town player, who never made a professional appearance for the Shropshire club, is clearly performing well in the top flight of Swedish football, demonstrating that he could have excelled in Baggies colours if the Black Country club had given him the chance.

If the former Albion defender goes on to play in the Premier League for Newcastle, Sunderland, or Brentford, the club will be disappointed that they did not give him more playing time in the Championship.

According to Swedish publication Goteborgs-Posten (via West Brom News), the Baggies included a sell-on provision in the transaction that sent Parker to Orgryte last winter.

That is fantastic news in light of the high-profile interest in the youngster’s services, but it does not overcome Morrison’s side’s disappointment if their former star goes on to perform well in the Premier League despite never having played in the Championship.

Michael Parker’s transfer request is indicative of terrible West Brom decisions in recent months.

Parker’s impressive achievements in the Swedish top division have prompted interest in his services from Brentford, Newcastle, Sunderland, and Portuguese club Sporting.

Albion’s decision to break ways with the 21-year-old came after a string of disastrous executive moves, including the hiring of failed managers Mason and Ramsay.

Mason was fired by West Brom in January after losing 10 straight away games, while Ramsay was fired in February after failing to win any of his nine games in command.

The worst choice made by the Baggies in recent months, however, may have been to cut ways with Parker, who is expected to join the Premier League this summer.