West Bromwich Albion have tied their second-choice goalkeeper down for another three years, but with such a lack of opportunity at the Baggies, it can be questioned if Josh Griffiths is doing more harm to his career than good.
The 22-year-old shot-stopper has been at West Brom since a young age, however, he has made just 10 league appearances for the club in his career so far, filling the role as the cup goalkeeper throughout last season.
Griffiths, who was born in Hereford, made his Baggies debut against Blackburn Rovers in the 2022/23 campaign, after Alex Palmer was sidelined for six weeks, yet since their first-choice returned in April of last year, the former has had to watch on from the sidelines.
With Griffiths being so young and his future secured until 2027, he still has plenty of time to break into the first-team at West Brom. Nevertheless, a loan move to League One could be the perfect way to get him playing consistently.
Josh Griffiths has had previous success in League One
Although he is yet to make a name for himself in the West Midlands, Griffiths has found better luck further afield while out on loan.
The goalkeeper has had three loans in his short career so far, donning the gloves in the third tier with Lincoln City and Portsmouth, while making his senior debut for Cheltenham Town in the 2020/21 League Two season.
It was at Cheltenham where he made a name for himself, keeping 21 clean sheets in just 44 league matches, conceding just 37 goals as the Robins won the title.
At just 19, he was tasked with keeping out Manchester City’s stars in the fourth round of the FA Cup. He did so successfully until the 81st minute when Phil Foden equalised for the Premier League giants, before Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres saw Cheltenham eliminated late on.
He spent the next season and a half on loan in League One with Lincoln and Portsmouth, helping the former stave off promotion in the 2021/22 campaign. However, his time with Pompey was cut short, with Palmer’s injury meaning that Griffiths’ services were required by his parent club.
With his loan on the south coast not lasting the full season, it does seem like the 22-year-old has unfinished business in the division, especially at the top of it.
Josh Griffiths should be pushing for 2024-25 loan exit from West Brom
Despite his young age, this is an extremely important moment in his career. Although he has the security of a contract until 2027, he needs game-time as a priority to enhance his abilities, and to help him as he gets older.
It can be argued that he will learn, and has learned, a lot from Palmer at West Brom. However, his experiences at the likes of Cheltenham and Lincoln have furthered his career at a much greater level than his 13 appearances in all competitions for the Baggies.
In his first season out on loan, he made 86 saves in the league, but last season he made zero because he played not a single minute of league action. It is vital to Griffiths’ development that he has minutes on the pitch in 2024/25, whether that be through a loan or a permanent move – the former is more likely.
Palmer has a strong grip on the number one shirt at The Hawthorns currently, and at 27 he is currently playing his best football in his career. It will take a monumental situation for him to lose that shirt, and it can be questioned due to a lack of experience in the past year, is Griffiths the correct fit now?
Griffiths has to convince Carlos Corberan to allow him to move to a new club in the near future for the good of both the player and West Brom themselves.
