They may be third in the Championship but there has been growing unrest among West Bromwich Albion supporters recently. 

Valerien Ismael's direct style of play is not the prettiest to watch, which makes matches frustrating when results don't go Albion's way – and things haven't been in recent weeks.

The Baggies have dropped points in four of their last seven games and have scored more than once on only one occasion during that run.

The final third is an area that the West Midlands club will surely be looking to bolster when the January window opens but Derby County captain Tom Lawrence is not the answer to their problems despite recent reports.

Mail Online revealed last night that the East Midlands club are open to letting Lawrence leave for free in the upcoming window.

Given their latest points deduction has meant relegation looks all but certain and that the 27-year-old is out of contract next summer and currently on an eye-watering £37,000 per week, it's a decision that makes a lot of sense for the East Midlands club.

Albion are one of a string of sides named as potential suitors and are said to have expressed an interest alongside Bournemouth, Stoke City, and Swansea City.

The prospect of signing Lawrence, a player that has proven his quality at Championship level in the past, on a free transfer is one that may seem an inviting one but it's not one that seems to make a whole lot of sense for the Baggies.

We know that Ismael's system works best with a powerful number nine playing through the centre, as Daryl Dike proved at Barnsley, and the Wales international, while capable of playing as a striker, is certainly not that.

It would seem then that the Derby captain would be targeted to play one of the wide forward roles but in Karlan Grant, Callum Robinson, Matt Phillips, and Grady Diangana, Albion already have players at his level or above.

Albion will likely spend money in the upcoming window but it could be much better spent elsewhere, particularly when you consider that unless he takes a significant pay cut Lawrence would still be on a big wage for this level.

Add to that agent's fees and the like, and suddenly you're paying a fair bit of money for a player that doesn't seem to strengthen Ismael's squad.

Put quite simply, signing Lawrence would be a waste of time and take up resources that could be used to strengthen other areas.