West Bromwich Albion are reportedly set to hold talks with National League North club AFC Telford United over Saul Shotton's future, with the 21-year-old's loan deal set to expire today. 

The defender was sent out on loan to Telford in October but appears to be highly thought of at The Hawthorns and was handed a contract extension in November, which will keep him at the club until at least 2023.

Shotton has been a regular for the non-league side, slotting in on the left side of the back three and not missing a game when available.

With his loan deal set to expire today, the centre-back's short-term future is unclear but, according to the Shropshire Star, Telford are set to hold talks with West Brom about a potential extension.

Shotton was snapped up by the Baggies in September 2019 after he'd become a free agent following Bury's expulsion from the EFL.

The defender had turned heads during his time at the North West club with both Leeds United and Watford reportedly having offers turned down for him.

The Verdict

Shotton has been a mainstay in the Telford side since joining the non-league club on loan, so it's no surprise that they're set to hold talks about a potential loan extension.

His recent contract extension is evidence that the 21-year-old is a player that the Baggies rate, so it's going to be interesting to see whether they're happy for him to play the rest of the season in the National League North.

The defender isn't ready to be part of Valerien Ismael's first team squad so another loan makes sense but Albion may feel that he has proven his quality at that level and now needs to test himself higher up the pyramid with a National League or potentially even League Two side.

That would be a blow for Telford but a decision that would be hard to argue with.