Heart or head - who should West Brom keep?

[BBC]

The debate over West Bromwich Albion's out‑of‑contract players depends on whether you're thinking with your heart or your head.

The heart will tell you Jed Wallace should be offered a new deal because of how important the captain is in the dressing room and on the training ground.

When lesser characters have hidden, Wallace has stepped up in public, speaking to me on multiple occasions during one of the toughest 12 months in the club's history.

He has also been a model professional in the community, supporting several Albion Foundation initiatives, which are part of his responsibilities as skipper.

However, the head suggests it may be time to move on.

Wallace is now 32 and on a very good wage after arriving on a free from Millwall in 2022. While he played a key role in Albion's upturn when James Morrison switched to a 4‑4‑2 availability has been an issue.

The winger has started just 17 games over the past two seasons. His latest calf problem ruled him out of the final seven matches, aside from a two‑minute cameo on the last day at Sheffield Wednesday, which marked his 150th appearance for the club.

Injuries are also the reason why the head argues it could be time to cut ties with Daryl Dike.

The striker was incredibly unfortunate to suffer Achilles ruptures in separate incidents, but his fitness has restricted him to just 68 appearances and 11 goals in four and a half years. He is also on good money, and if he were to break down again a new deal would be a huge regret.

But the heart wonders whether those worries are behind him. Dike significantly increased his game time under Morrison and played his part in the team's 10‑game unbeaten run to secure safety.

There is also the infectious personality behind the scenes, and the moment of pure emotion when he scored at Preston - one of the few genuine highlights of a difficult season.