Club legend reveals what position West Brom should prioritise in transfer market

Johnson, the club's Albion TV matchday pundit, says he would initially look to add competition in the forward ranks after Carlos Corberan's options were ripped apart by injury last term.

Brandon Thomas-Asante had to shoulder the responsibility for goals alone for much of the campaign due to serious injuries to Daryl Dike, once again, and twice for Josh Maja.

Thomas-Asante netted 12 as top scorer and missed chances to add to his tally further, and promotion-winner Johnson hopes there is more for Corberan to select from next term.

"You need strength-in-depth, really, hopefully there's a bit of money to use now," Johnson said.

"I think a striker is definitely something to look at, nobody quite knows what's going to happen there in terms of Dike getting back fit and Maja we haven't seen enough of to really form any kind of opinion.

"Brandon cannot do it up front on his own again all season, so definitely something up front would be the place I'd spend biggest.

"If you look historically at the Championship you need strikers with 20-plus goals a season to have a chance at promotion, and a defence with 15 to 18 clean sheets.

"Defensively we got off to a great start, yes there might be change, but I do think the main focus would be a striker, and fill the squad with quality players, though unfortunately quality comes at a cost."

United States international Dike is not expected back fit until a few months into next season after the fourth serious injury in his short time at the club.

He ruptured the Achilles tendon for a second time, shortly after returning from the previous injury, at Ipswich in February.

Former Sunderland and Fulham frontman Maja, Corberan's sole permanent signing last summer as a free agent, barely got going in his debut campaign due to two serious ankle injuries. He returned from the latter late in the season but was not deemed fit enough for the play-offs.

"There have been injuries in key areas," Johnson continued. "Maja and Dike have missed most of the season, how do you even deal with that? You can't manage that.

"But he's thrown others up there, tweaked it to use Jed Wallace there when he had to. And all of the players, and I include someone like Adam Reach in that, they've all done a job for him wherever he has asked. It shows the players respect him and are coached."