Another spirited performance cruelly snatched away from them saw West Brom lose 1-0 to Manchester United over the course of the weekend. 

While the Baggies have done themselves justice against Tottenham and now United, it's hard to look away from the fact they are yet to win this season and have conceded the joint-highest amount of goals in the division. 

So, the defence is certainly an issue and that's why reports from the Birmingham Mail are promising, at least in a long-term sense. 

They claim youth player Saul Shotton has agreed a new deal at The Hawthorns. According to the report, he's highly-rated behind the scenes at the club, though is currently out on loan with National League side Woking. 

Signed from Bury in 2019, the stopper had already made his league debut at the age of 16 and has been described as a 'ball-playing defender' on the Baggies' official site. 

Though there's not a huge amount of data to go off in terms of Shotton's exploits, extending his deal can only be a good thing. 

West Brom latest news

Indeed, should he progress to a level he can come in and offer a long-term solution at the back, West Brom will benefit. If he doesn't, at least their investment is now safe-guarded somewhat should they need to look for a potential sale in the future. 

Academy manager Mark Litherland has also talked him up in the past, saying Shotton (cousin of Ryan) is 'good in the air' and 'reads the game well', with Leeds United reportedly keen on him before his move to West Brom. 

With that in mind, he's clearly a highly-rated talent, so this should be seen as good news.