Report: West Brom set to part with player Bilic claimed has ‘got no limits’

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West Brom midfielder Rekeem Harper has passed a medical at Ipswich Town, according to the Express and Star.

The Baggies product is set to seal a permanent move to the League One side after spending the second half of last season at Birmingham on loan. Ipswich had initially approached West Brom to discuss a loan deal for the 21-year-old before being told he was available to buy.

Ipswich will pay West Brom an initial £500,000 this summer, with add-ons taking the total fee up to £1million. Harper’s departure will leave Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers as the only natural central midfielders currently at The Hawthorns.

Harper was set to enter the final year of his West Brom contract next month after seeing his progress stall over recent years. He played just 31 minutes over two outings in the Premier League last term before joining Birmingham, where he featured in 18 Championship games.

The Birmingham-born box-to-box midfielder started 11 of his second-tier outings for the Second City outfit. He also only started four of his 10 Championship appearances as West Brom secured their promotion in 2019/20.

Harper now takes a step down to join Ipswich, who ended 2020/21 five points shy of the League One play-offs. Only relegated duo Bristol Rovers and Northampton also scored fewer goals than Portman Road outfit, who finished the season ninth.

Ipswich move a sign of Harper regression at West Brom

Harper joining a third-tier side to seal a move away from West Brom is a sign of how far he has regressed. Tottenham and Norwich were once interested in the midfielder when he broke through to the senior fold as a teenager.

Now, he has fallen far from the level of player that is courted by Premier League clubs. And worse, Harper cannot, seemingly, establish himself in the Championship either. Be it for West Brom after more than a decade at The Hawthorns or with Birmingham while on loan.

Harper’s performances while at Birmingham showed he would struggle once back at West Brom, as well. The midfielder was inconsistent on the pitch, turning in control displays one week to abject outings the next. Far from the player Slaven Bilic claimed has ‘got no limits’ last July.