West Brom have today received a huge boost with the news that young midfielder Rekeem Harper has signed a new deal with the club.

Harper became a key man for the Baggies last season after breaking into the team under Darren Moore, with the teenager forging quite a reputation for himself as one of the Championship's brightest young talents.

His contract was up for renewal this summer, with plenty of interest in Harper from clubs in the Premier League and beyond, but now, as confirmed by Albion's official website, Harper has penned a new deal with Slaven Bilic's team.

The 19-year-old has put pen to paper on a new three-year deal with the Baggies, tying him down to the club for the foreseeable future as well as allowing Albion to demand a sizeable fee for his services if other clubs continue to pursue Harper.

New manager Slaven Bilic is quickly making an impact at Albion, and keeping hold of key young talent like Harper is a positive sign for the manager and club, who are looking to once again mount a promotion challenge next season.

Albion missed out last season following a play-off semi-final loss to Aston Villa. Caretaker Manager Jimmy Shan has since moved on from the club, with former West Ham man Bilic coming into the club to take the managerial reins.

The Verdict

Superb news for Albion this and superb news for Harper too, who will be better off continuing his development at the Hawthorns.

He showed last year how good a footballer he is and he will only go on to grow and get better one would assume.

If he can be nurtured by Bilic and add a bit more to his game with a full season of regular appearances under his belt, then there is no reason why Harper cannot go all the way to the top.