West Bromwich Albion will be looking to secure an immediate return to the Premier League next year following their relegation to the Championship last season.

With Sam Allardyce opting to call time on his short stint at The Hawthorns, the Baggies decided to hand over the reins to Valerien Ismael in June.

Having completely transformed Barnsley's fortunes during the previous campaign, the Frenchman will be confident in his ability to lead West Brom into a new dawn.

Ismael has already put his own stamp on West Brom's squad by securing the services of Alex Mowatt and is currently looking to draft in another individual who has played regularly at Championship level in recent years.

A report from The Sun earlier this week revealed that the Baggies had entered the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion defender Matt Clarke.

The former Portsmouth man also recently emerged as a target for Sheffield United.

Loaned out to Derby County for the second consecutive season last year, the defender helped the Rams avoid relegation to League One by making 42 appearances for the club in the Championship.

In a fresh update concerning West Brom's transfer pursuit, it has been now been revealed that the club are now leading the race for Clarke's signature.

According to The Telegraph journalist John Percy, the Baggies are reportedly set to sign the defender on a season-long loan deal.

It is understood that Clarke will undergo a medical later today before completing a move to West Brom.

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

If the Baggies are able to get a deal over the line for Clarke, it would unquestionably send out a signal of intent to the rest of the Championship as the defender knows exactly what it takes to thrive at this level.

One of the only shining lights in what otherwise was a season to forget for Derby, the defender managed to average a WhoScored match rating of 7.06 which was only bettered by one of his former team-mates (Krystian Bielik).

Providing that Clarke is able to adjust to life at The Hawthorns relatively quickly, there is no reason why he cannot go on to play a major role for the club in the second-tier next season.

Furthermore, the defender's arrival from Brighton could force the likes of Semi Ajayi and Dara O'Shea to step up their performance levels which may have a profound impact on West Brom's fortunes.

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