West Brom continue to face a transfer saga with Nathan Ferguson. It almost feels like it is Rekeem Harper 2.0 after the summer of ‘will he? won’t he?’

The Baggies rise to the Championship summit has brought about a few eagle-eyed heavyweights as they circle in like vultures on the young 19-year-old.

It’s only his first season in the men’s game, but that appears to be enough for some as AC Milan, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked to the defender in recent months.

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Ferguson has displayed fantastic versatile attributes going from an U23 centre-back to Slaven Bilic’s first-choice right-back, and at times, cover for Kieran Gibbs on the left. He’s played nine games apiece on either side of defence this campaign.

Albion have offered the starlet a contract extension as his current deal is set to expire in the summer, but Ferguson is yet to accept despite his wages receiving a 20-fold hike on what they previously were.

It means that in just a couple of weeks, he’ll be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any foreign club while there are murmurs coming out of the Hawthorns that suggest he could be sold in January, so they don’t lose out on at least some money.

If his heart isn’t wholly invested in the Baggies, then it might be right for him to exit, but he needs to consider one big thing – just how have the promising players of years gone by done since they duly departed?

One of the earliest examples is Izzy Brown. He became the second-youngest player in Premier League history at the age of just 16 years and 117 days, but he soon acrimoniously departed for the dazzling heights of Chelsea.

The 22-year-old is now on his sixth loan spell at Championship rivals Luton Town having made just one senior appearance at Stamford Bridge – the same amount for the Baggies despite leaving to join them in 2013.

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And then there is the saga involving Saido Berahino, which is why the club probably want to shift him out next month because the former Albion striker stank out the Hawthorns with his attitude after a move to Spurs fell through. He’s now playing in Belgium for Zulte Waregem.

Just this summer, another potential example arose with Louie Barry making the switch to La Liga giants Barcelona, he’ll get to play in the famous La Masia academy, but when the senior side splashes out nearly £65m on Luiz Suarez and Antoine Griezmann for over £100m, he’ll have to be really special to breakthrough.

Ferguson could easily be a first-choice Premier League full-back come May if he plays his cards right. The youngster must consider the plights of those mentioned above before making his call.

Meanwhile, West Brom could lose out in the chase for this Premier League-wanted defender…