West Bromwich Albion got their summer transfer business off to an exciting start as they announced in May that they had secured a deal to sign John Swift on a free transfer from Reading.

Having scored 11 goals and delivered 13 assists in 38 league appearances last season, it's easy to see why the Baggies were so eager to secure his signature and what they will be expecting from him on the pitch moving forward.

With still a few weeks left before the summer transfer window ends, another midfielder who has been linked with a move to The Hawthorns and who would allow Steve Bruce to form a potentially scary duo alongside Swift is Lewis O'Brien.

In 130 appearances for Huddersfield Town, the 23-year-old has found the net eight times and supplied 10 assists along the way. This shows that, just like Swift (albeit not on as regular a basis), the Terriers midfielder has a nose for scoring and creating goals.

However, it's O'Brien's defensive nous which could make it a suitable addition to West Brom's squad and give Swift the freedom to be a regular attacking threat in the team.

No other player at the Yorkshire club won more tackles in the league last season than the Englishman (59), who also made 33 interceptions. This highlights just how difficult an opponent he can be and why he would be a great asset for the Midlands club.

This defensive industry combined with Swift's ability to be a menace in front of goal is the sort of midfield partnership which could push the Baggies further up the table and into the mix to win promotion back to the Premier League.

O'Brien's overall performances in his 46 Championship games during the previous campaign earned him an impressive season rating of 7.09/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated outfield player at the John Smith's Stadium.

This backs up why he was described as a "sensational" player by Jonathan Hogg and why Huddersfield are reportedly looking to recoup a rather significant fee of £10m for him this summer.

If Bruce feels the need to strengthen his midfield further before the 2022/23 campaign kicks off, adding the Huddersfield star to his ranks could be a worthwhile investment for the Baggies to make, especially if he can help to get the best out of Swift at the same time.

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