Former Leeds United pair handed late contract offers at Championship rivals after play-off heartbreak

West Bromwich Albion have confirmed that new contracts have been offered to former Leeds United pair Alex Mowatt and Kyle Bartley, with the Baggies now preparing for another season of Championship football.

West Brom put themselves in contention for promotion after securing a fifth-placed finish and a spot in the Championship play-offs. But after failing to gain an advantage in the semi-final first-leg, they were beaten 3-1 by Southampton last Friday and will remain in the second-tier for at least another year.

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With the season extended, those in charge at the Hawthorns put contract talks on hold but they resumed after last week’s defeat and three first-team players have been offered fresh deals. Bartley and Mowatt were set to leave as free agents but they, along with defender Cedric Kipre, have been handed the chance to extend their stay with the Baggies.

Corberan, another former Leeds employee as assistant coach under Bielsa and under-23s boss, has decided to cut a number of first-team players from his squad ahead of another promotion push. Experienced winger Matty Phillips joins the likes of Adam Reach, Nathaniel Chalobah and Yann M’Vila in leaving West Brom in the summer.

Neither Mowatt nor Bartley have yet signed the contracts currently on the table but both were integral to West Brom’s success this season and are expected to stay on board. Corberan will hope to build on his play-off push with the aim of securing promotion next season, whether it be via the post-season mini-tournament or automatically.

Mowatt joined West Brom in 2021, following Valerien Ismael from Barnsley after an impressive period at Oakdale. The 29-year-old has dropped into a deeper midfield role under Corberan and excelled, with the added experience allowing him to dictate play from deep.

Bartley has been a regular presence behind Mowatt, making 36 league appearances at the heart of West Brom’s defence. The 32-year-old only featured against former side Leeds off the bench in the 1-0 December win, however, while Mowatt started that game before coming off.

Leeds will hope to avoid coming up against the pair of former Whites next season but will have to beat Southampton in Sunday’s Championship play-off final on Sunday to do so. Daniel Farke’s side cruised past Norwich City in the semi-final and could now be just 90 minutes away from an instant return to the Premier League.