Sky Sports have reported that Swansea are in talks to sign Brentford midfielder Ryan Woods, but fellow Championship new boys West Brom should attempt to hijack any deal to bolster their midfield.

What's the story?

Woods joined Brentford from Shrewsbury in 2015 and has since made 127 appearances for the Bees. The 24-year-old has impressed so much that he was voted as the supporters' player of the year last season as Brentford finished ninth in the Championship.

According to Sky Sports, Swansea have already had a bid rejected for the Englishman, who is valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt. He is seen by the Welsh side as a long term replacement for Leon Britton after the diminutive midfielder and club legend announced his retirement at the end of last season.

Woods scored one goal and provided three assists during his 39 league appearances last season and recorded a pass success rate of 83%, according to WhoScored, as he acted as the deep lying playmaker for Brentford.

Partner for Livermore

With Gareth Barry now 37 years old and questions over whether James Morrison will be given a new contract this summer, West Brom boss Darren Moore should be in the market for a new central midfielder.

With talks seemingly at early stages for Swansea, now could be the perfect time for the Baggies to swoop for Woods. The 5ft 8in man could be the perfect midfield partner for the more powerful and progressive Jake Livermore.

West Brom fans will be hoping that the club can bounce straight back up to the Premier League and Darren Moore has already made five signings to improve the state of his squad, but central midfield is still an issue for the Baggies.

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