West Bromwich Albion's Transfer Plans: Morrison Eyes More Signings

James Morrison wants more. West Bromwich Albion have started fast, moved smartly in the market, and are on the brink of a significant reunion – but their head coach is not ready to declare the squad complete.

The Championship club are close to finalising a deal worth up to £7.6m to bring Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer back to The Hawthorns, this time on a permanent basis after his loan spell in the first half of last season. Talks with United have progressed, and the move is now edging towards confirmation.

Morrison, speaking to BBC Radio WM, made it clear he expects more movement before the window shuts on 1 September.

"I am hopeful," he said. "There's been a lot of hard work been going on behind the scenes. We have to do things a little bit differently, we have to be clever about it and I felt that we've been doing that because we've had a lot of signings."

One of those signings is already under close inspection. Spanish winger Kareem Tunde arrived from Levante this week and has immediately caught his manager’s eye on the training pitch.

"It's a big opportunity for him, coming to a new culture, still only being 21," Morrison said. "He's an exciting prospect and an exciting player, so we're delighted to have him.

"It just gives us different options now and I felt like we've always missed that little bit in games where we could stretch our opposition and he's got that pace and power that we've been looking for."

Tunde is the eighth new face through the door this summer, a sign of a deliberate rebuild rather than a cosmetic refresh. Morrison talks about “finishing touches”, but his side have already laid down an early marker: two wins from two in the new Championship campaign.

The schedule now throws up something more personal. Next up are last season’s beaten play-off finalists Middlesbrough on Saturday – Morrison’s hometown club and the place where his professional journey began.

For some managers, that would invite sentiment. Morrison has been through that already.

"I've been back many times and played, so I'm over that," he said. "I can remember my first one going back and I was all over the place, I was terrible. So I learnt from that experience.

"I think my last time there as a player, I ended up scoring and I still remember that feeling. So I'm really looking forward to the game, but also I know this is going to be one of the toughest away fixtures we'll face.

"But they've [the Albion players] set a standard now and they can't let it drop."

An in-form team, a near-complete squad, a return to old ground and a transfer window still open. Morrison knows exactly what comes next: keep the standards high, and make sure the recruitment drive finishes as strongly as the season has started.