On the 13th of January 2024, West Bromwich Albion beat Blackburn Rovers 4-1 in the league. A stand-out performer in the game would come in the form of 20-year-old Tom Fellows. This would be refreshing in a world where academy graduates are poached before ever setting foot on the Hawthorns pitch.
Premier League Interest Grows
Six months later, the Premier League vultures would begin circling with a £20 Million price tag towering over his head. This is how a young lad from Solihull would become one of the Championship’s hottest prospects.
West Bromwich Albion has seen many academy stars poached by bigger teams: Izzy Brown to Chelsea, Morgan Rogers to Man City, and Louie Barry to Barcelona, to name a few. As a result, many have lost faith in the academy process, especially after seeing graduates like Dara O’Shea and Taylor Gardner-Hickman leave the club after lengthy stints in the first team.
Tom Fellows Seizes His Opportunity
However, Matt Phillips’ long-term injury and the recall of loanee Jeremy Sarmiento in January 2024 left a void in the wide position. Up stepped Tom Fellows. After a disappointing 1-0 loss to Swansea, Blackburn visited next, and Fellows had another opportunity to impress, this time in front of the home fans.
Only 11 minutes had passed before Fellows gave us the lead. Chants of “He’s one of our own” echoed around the Hawthorns. Fellows showed no signs of slowing down. He would score five goals and get four assists in all competitions. He likely would have racked up more assists with a more prolific striker. His signature move would be receiving the ball on the right flank, taking on the fullback before performing a stepover followed by a whipped cross into the box.
Tom Fellows: Unstoppable Talent
Teams knew what to look for, yet they could not stop him. Game after game, he would wriggle his way to the by-line and whip that cross into the box. This season, he has already reached three assists in the league after four games. Again, from that same manoeuvre. At such a young age, he controls the ball and moves better than Championship veteran Jed Wallace, whom he has displaced from the starting lineup.
Labelled a key player in this season’s promotion push, Carlos Corberan declared he was not for sale. But this did not stop some Premier League teams from testing the waters and the Albion’s resolve. Southampton submitted a £10 million bid, West Bromwich Albion swiftly rejected. The next day, Ipswich Town made their bid, which was also rejected.
Future Prospects: Premier League Bound?
With Carlos’ hands-off warning and deadline fast approaching, Fellows would remain a West Brom player until January. After such a quick start to this season, the sky is the limit for the young winger. Is he ready for that step up to the Premier League?
Who knows? You could argue that he is predictable but still manages to find a way. Would he continue to do that at the height of English Football? We will have to wait and see.
Whether it is with the Albion or not, Tom Fellow’s future is in the Premier League.