Caleb Taylor position outlined as West Brom mull over potential loan for defender

The 21-year-old academy product has been a regular across the club’s pre-season friendlies and featured at Fleetwood Town in the EFL Cup last night as head coach Corberan described him as ‘one of the club’s assets’.

But a decision has yet to be taken on whether the tall defender will head out for another loan or stay around as part of Corberan’s first-team squad. Albion replaced Cedric Kipre and Erik Pieters with Paddy McNair, on a half-season loan, and Torbjorn Heggem over the summer and Taylor was an unused substitute at QPR on Saturday.

“We always need to evaluate and re-evaluate the situation, because maybe what I expect today can change tomorrow, because the situation changes. Or maybe one week ago it can change,” Corberan said.

“I can tell you what Caleb needs – Caleb needs minutes.

“That’s why we loaned him in January. Unfortunately the minutes he needed in January he couldn’t achieve because he had an injury and when he was fit he couldn’t be involved in Bolton’s last part of the season.

“So it means his situation didn’t change from January. He still needs minutes. Depending on how we can manage the situation we will make the decision, but my priority is he needs minutes before he can be ready to help the club in the Championship.”

Taylor signed a new four-year contract at The Hawthorns this summer six months after fellow academy prospect agreed a long-term deal of his own. The club view the extension as some of their most important work of the off-season.

The centre-back enjoyed a superb loan out at Cheltenham in League One in 2022/23, where he was a mainstay in League One. He was kept in Albion’s ranks until January last season where a loan to third-tier promotion-hunting Bolton was agreed, but an injury early into the stint scuppered the chance of minutes.

“Sometimes you can do the ideal process, sometimes not, let’s see in the next week how we see the situation with him, but I can tell you what he needs as a player,” Corberan added.

“And as a player we’re really happy he extended his contract here with us because he’s a product of the academy, an amazing lad, I enjoy working with him with a very good attitude in every aspect and he is one of the assets that we have as a club. As a product of the academy it is important for us to keep working with them.”