West Bromwich Albion are set to win the race to sign Derby County midfielder Tom Lawrence, according to Alan Nixon via Patreon.

Lawrence was set to become a free agent when his Rams contract expires at the end of this month, with the Daily Mail reporting this weekend that a plethora of clubs are interested in his services.

Scottish giants Rangers, as well as Sheffield United and Watford, were all said to be in the running for the 28-year-old, who has amassed 23 caps for the Wales national team.

However, it is Steve Bruce who is set to win another hotly-contested race for the goalscoring free agent, having already snapped up two seasoned Championship midfielders in John Swift and Jed Wallace this summer.

Nixon is reporting that Albion are poised to fend off rival interest for Lawrence's services and that a deal should be finalised in the coming days as Bruce adds another string to his attacking bow.

The Verdict

With Lawrence adding to both Swift and Wallace in the attacking midfield positions, Steve Bruce will be the envy of most of the Championship with the signings he is making.

All three are being acquired for no transfer fee, which means the trio all represent major coups for a top Championship side.

Lawrence was back to his best last season and seemed to take on the extra responsibility of being captain under Wayne Rooney very well - scoring 11 times in a Derby side that for the most part weren't very attacking was a good achievement.

Next season though, he will be supplying the likes of Daryl Dike and Karlan Grant with their chances - Championship defences aren't going to enjoy coming up against West Brom next season.