West Brom youngster Reyes Cleary has made his first loan move in professional football after completing a deal to Walsall for the rest of the season.
After impressing largely in the Baggies’ academy, Cleary is hoping this loan spell could develop the player, with the top talent having a potential that could skyrocket.
His dominance in development football has seen interest from the likes of Borussia Dortmund, exaggerating how high Cleary’s ceiling actually is.
| Reyes Cleary statistics in academy football competitions at West Brom per transfermarkt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Premier League 2 | 31 | 23 | 4 |
| U18 Premier League | 30 | 26 | 4 |
| FA Youth Cup | 2 | 3 | 0 |
The 20-year-old recently signed a new one-year contract last month at the Hawthorns after appearing for Carlos Corberan’s men on seven occasions.
The winger featured in the last 20 minutes of West Brom’s 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town in the EFL Cup, with Corberan previously praising the youngster after a hamstring issue hindered his progress.
In 2023, the Baggies boss told the Shropshire star: “He must rediscover his level because still the fact he had a long-term injury demands time from him to recover and be ready. We involved him at Coventry on the bench.
“Only once have we considered that he is ahead of other players so that he might be on the bench with the first-team.
“That’s how players progress. Cleary is clearly a player with potential who needs to keep growing.”
Cleary is a talent that has been on the Baggies fans’ radar for a while now, and they will keep a keen eye on the youngster at Walsall.
Walsall move could help Cleary develop into top talent
The Dortmund interest stemmed from comparisons that Cleary could live up to being the next ‘Romelu Lukaku’, with the Chelsea and Belgium forward flourishing in his time at the Hawthorns, scoring 17 goals in the Premier League.
This comparison could be likely with Cleary being noted for his powerful playing style, with him possessing significant strength and speed for his age.
A loan spell has been waiting in the wings for a while now, with Corberan eager to give the youngster the development he needs in professional football despite claims he was going to sell the youngster with high interest last summer.
A few appearances off the bench for the first-team is all well and good, but a stint in League Two with the Sadlers could explode Cleary onto the scene, which will be Corberan’s aim for his future.
Cleary’s teammate and friend of the Baggies academy, Mo Faal, had two impressive loan spells last season, one at Doncaster and the other, Walsall. Faal scored the opener in West Brom’s 2-1 defeat at Fleetwood.
He notched up six goals in 20 games at the Poundland Bescot Stadium and endorsed the move for Cleary to join this summer.
Cleary said to BirminghamWorld, “My friend Mo Faal had a good loan spell here, so when I had a conversation with him, I made my mind up, and I wanted to come straight here.
“It’s good to play Premier League 2, but I need to start doing it against men in the real life of football because that’s the only way I’m going to get better, so I can’t wait to get going.”
Walsall head coach, Mat Sadler, added that he has admiration for the talent, hence making the move for the winger.
“He’s a player who, rewind 12 months ago, was sought after by every club in the division above after his prolific season in PL2,” Sadler said.
“He’s desperate to succeed, desperate to get back into what he believes is his place. He’s had a taste for it and now he wants more.”
Cleary could provide competition for current Baggies forwards
This loan move may give the current flock of attackers at West Brom a look over their shoulder.
Cleary has already dominated the academy scene and is clearly eager to reciprocate that in League Two next season.
The Baggies have an array of talent in their front line already, but Cleary could have the potential to guide them back to the Premier League.
Josh Maja has impressed so far in his second season with the Baggies, scoring a hat-rick on the first day versus QPR in their 3-1 win. He’s a player that fits a similar profile to Cleary, which could be used to his disadvantage if Corberan favours the youngster in the future.
Time will tell what could happen to the 20-year-old, but Walsall could be the start of something special for Cleary.
