It is now less than two months until the start of the 2021/22 Championship season and West Bromwich Albion are still yet to appoint Sam Allardyce's successor. 

A string of familiar names have been linked with the job but we don't yet know who will be in the Baggies dugout for their season opener in early August – though it seems it won't be Michael Appleton after reports today revealed he'd turned it down.

Whoever takes charge is going to want the opportunity to shape their squad and with that in mind, the latest reports concerning midfielder Rekeem Harper are a little alarming.

According to the Express & Star, Harper has successfully completed his medical ahead of a move to Ipswich Town with League One club initially paying £500,000 – a fee that will double if all the contract's clauses are met.

Harper has struggled to make an impact over the past year or so and fell out of favour completely during Allardyce's tenure but opting to offload him for a fairly nominal fee before a new manager is appointed could prove to be a costly error.

Admittedly, the 21-year-old didn't pull up many trees during his loan spell at Birmingham City in the second half of last season but nor did he look particularly out of place at that level.

The midfielder is not the finished product but it's important to remember that he is the same player that was being chased by the likes of Liverpool and Juventus just a few years ago.

Harper's career at the Hawthorns may have stalled but this is still a player with a bright future and the Baggies relegation back to the Championship seems a fantastic opportunity to get him back involved with the senior squad.

What makes the decision to cash in on him now even more alarming is that if he joins Ipswich, Albion will have just two central midfielders left – Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers.

Surely any arriving manager will want a chance to run the rule over a player like Harper, who has shown promise in the past and is undoubtedly talented, with options in the centre of the park limited.

There are obvious financial benefits to selling him now but as the fee they're set to receive for him upfront is £500,000, the benefits don't outweigh the risk of seeing him thrive elsewhere.

Selling Harper before they appoint a new manager could prove a costly error.