West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City had to watch on as one of their local rivals lifted the Europa League trophy at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

Aston Villa, of course, were the ones to beat Freiburg 3-0 in the final to secure their first major trophy in 30 years and their first European trophy since 1982.

They were in the Championship as recently as the 2018/19 campaign, when they beat West Brom in the semi-finals of the play-offs, and are now European champions and set to play in the Champions League next term.

Birmingham and the Baggies will both be looking on with envy and hoping to emulate their success by first earning promotion out of the Championship next season.

In order to compete to get back into the Premier League, both clubs will need to add to their attacking ranks when the summer transfer window opens for business.

Why Birmingham and West Brom both need new wingers

Both teams should be looking to add more quality in the wide areas in the 2026/27 campaign because they lacked consistency in the final third from those positions.

The Baggies, for example, did not have any players who hit double figures for goals or assists in the Championship, and only one of James Morrison's players, Mikey Johnston, produced more than four assists.

Isaac Price, who played wide and centrally at times, was one of the more productive players in the squad, scoring nine goals and providing two assists.

Birmingham, meanwhile, did not have a single winger who racked up more than five goals or more than five assists, as Demarai Gray recorded five goals and five assists and Patrick Roberts scored four and assisted four.

These statistics suggest that both clubs should be in the market to add more quality to their ranks out wide, so that they can score enough goals to push for promotion next season.

West Brom and Birmingham could sign upgrade on Isaac Price and Demarai Gray

West Brom and the Blues have both been linked with an interest in Barnsley forward Reyes Cleary this summer, just 12 months after the Baggies sold him to the League One outfit.

Price and Gray were the standout wide players for each club in the Championship this season, registering 11 and ten goal contributions respectively, but they were not among the top performers in the division overall.

Cleary's performances for Barnsley in League One, meanwhile, suggest that he has the potential to arrive at St. Andrew's or The Hawthorns as their most impactful wide player at the top end of the pitch.

The 22-year-old talent, who is reportedly available for a fee of £3m, racked up 20 goal contributions for his side, scoring seven goals and providing a staggering 13 assists in 30 starts.

Meanwhile, none of Birmingham or West Brom's player reached double figures for assists in the Championship, which suggests that he could add a level of creativity that neither of them currently have.

He scored two more goals and provided eight more assists than Gray at league level, whilst registering 11 more assists than Price and scoring two less.

If he can translate his performances in League One over to the Championship, Cleary would be and away the best and most productive winger at Birmingham or West Brom, and possibly the second tier overall.

Whilst the Baggies and the Blues struggled to find consistency from their wide players, namely Price and Gray, Barnsley had a consistent attacking force with the £3m-rated star on the left flank.

Signing him for £3m is a worthwhile risk because he could be a phenomenal addition to either squad if they decide to bring him in and he is able to carry his third tier form over to the Championship.

It is a risk, of course, but it is one they should take in their pursuit of promotion to the Premier League in an attempt to catch up with their local rivals Aston Villa, which is why the Baggies must push to beat Birmingham in the race for his signature.