#PLStories- Brighton’s #MattClarke joins West Bromwich Albion on a season-long loan #WBAFC #BHAFC

Brighton defender Matt Clarke has joined recently relegated Championship side, West Bromwich Albion on a season-long loan. The 24-year-old joined the Seagulls in the summer of 2019 on a four-year deal from League One side Portsmouth as one of Graham Potter’s first signings at the club but has yet to make an appearance. It will be the third consecutive season that the centre-back has spent on loan in the Championship having spent the previous two campaigns at Derby. In his two seasons at Pride Park, he made 81 appearances and scored one goal. Albion’s pathway development manager David Weir said: “Matt has done very well in his time with Derby, and shown he is very adept at Championship level and there was no shortage of clubs interested in taking him on loan. “Having just come down from the Premier League, West Bromwich Albion will be pushing for an instant return to the top level, and Matt will no doubt go there with that aim. "We will be monitoring his progress and wish him well for the new season ahead.” Clarke will be looking to help the Baggies win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking under new manager Valerien Ismael. The French-German head coach guided Barnsley to a fifth-place finish in the Championship last season, before losing to Swansea in the play-off semi-finals. Clarke becomes the West Brom head coach’s third summer signing, after he secured the services of his captain at Barnsley, Alex Mowatt on a free transfer and highly rated midfielder Quevin Moises Castro on a free transfer, after he previously been on trial with Chelsea and Arsenal.