West Bromwich Albion’s hopes of acquiring Joseph Rosales, a 25-year-old Honduran international defender who has previously worked with newly appointed Baggies manager Eric Ramsay, have apparently been dashed.

According to an update from Alvaro De La Rocha via X, which surfaced on Wednesday afternoon, Rosales’ current Major League Soccer employers, Austin FC, have no plans to part ways with the full-back, who only agreed to sign a long-term contract at the Q2 stadium last month after joining from Ramsay’s former club, Minnesota United.

With only a few days until the winter transfer window closes at 7PM on February 2nd, Albion’s new manager is still looking for further reinforcements for the squad he inherited after taking over from Ryan Mason earlier this month.

The 34-year-old’s start to life at The Hawthorns hasn’t been as smooth as he had hoped after signing a two-and-a-half year contract on January 11th to replace Ryan Mason.

West Brom were in the midst of a terrible run of form when Ramsay was appointed, and despite managing three Championship matches, they had yet to win a game under the former Manchester United and Chelsea coach.

While it had been an extremely quick turnaround due to the fixture schedule, meaning that Ramsay was limited in the amount of training sessions he could oversee with his new chargers, the Albion faithful saw their side suffer back-to-back home defeats against Middlesbrough and Norwich City, with the latter being the club’s worst-ever home defeat outside the top division through a 5-0 scoreline, before earning a dramatic draw against Derby County at Pride Park last Friday.

The Baggies are currently only two places and three points above the relegation zone in the second division, making relegation to League One for the first time in 33 years a real possibility.

Within just three games, it has also been evident that Ramsay is eager to stamp his authority on the playing squad by implementing a three-back system, albeit such changes have already divided opinion.

Baggies fans have seen their new manager solve their goalkeeping issues with the short-term signing of Max O’Leary from Bristol City. However, the West Midlands club has suffered a severe setback in their attempts to complete a second transfer deal of the window.

A new update has emerged in the West Bromwich Albion and Austin FC transfer dispute concerning Joseph Rosales.

Rosales has previously been linked with a potential debut in the English game during the January transfer window.

Just a year ago, it appeared that everything was in place for the 34-year-old Honduran international left-back to join Preston North End from Minnesota United, but the MLS club and the Lilywhites were unable to reach an agreement.

Ramsay’s success as head coach at Allianz Field is well chronicled, with the 25-year-old Rosales playing an important role in his team’s fourth-place result, which smashed numerous club records.

Rosales had been with Minnesota on either a loan or permanent basis since the summer of 2021, when an agreement was reached with CA Independiente.

The defender signed a new deal with Ramsay in July 2024, however his final season would be in 2025. Rosales joined Austin FC in the closing weeks of the Albion manager’s time in the United States, signing a contract that will last until the summer of 2029 following a $1.5 million transfer agreement.

Despite not making a competitive appearance for Austin when the MLS season begins next month, it was first reported on Wednesday that Ramsay had ‘explicitly requested’ a reunion with Rosales at The Hawthorns.

However, just hours later, the aforementioned De La Rocha provided a new update that dealt a blow to the Baggies’ chase.

According to the reporter, the Championship side has had no contact with Rosales or his advisors about a prospective move to the Black Country, and Austin FC has no plans to sell their latest signing in the near days.

West Bromwich Albion will have to consider other defensive prospects after Joseph Rosales’ setback.

With nine goals conceded in three games, it’s no wonder that Ramsay is prioritizing defensive solutions.

Given the style he is installing in B71, it is reasonable to expect Rosales to play wing-back, a position previously occupied by Samuel Iling-Junior, who was previously used as a right-winger under Mason.

Callum Styles has also played in a similar capacity this season, although the former Barnsley player has subsequently returned to central midfield under Ramsay.

Albion must now shift their attention to other possibilities in the remaining window or risk running out of depth in a critical part of the pitch.