West Brom hand professional contracts to young quartet

West Brom have handed professional deals to four youngsters ahead of the new season.

Goalkeeper Ben Cisse and defender Jamal Mohammed have signed one-year contracts with the option of a further year.

Fellow shot-stopper Brian Okonkwo has also penned a two-year deal until 2028.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Will Rutter has agreed a two-year deal following a successful trial period with the under-18s last term.

“It’s a positive step for the players who’ve been at the club to have another year to progress,” academy manager Richard Stevens said.

“Jamal and Ben needed another year to continue their maturity in the game. Both trained with the first team at points last season, and both could get similar opportunities again when the time is right.

“We’re really lucky at the club to have some really talented goalkeepers, whether that be Joe [Wallis], Maxwell [Moses], Brian [Okonkwo] or Will [Rutter] - and we’re here to help them use that time to their advantage.”

Mohammed joined Albion from Peterborough as a 16-year-old and played 15 times for Gloucester City last season, as they reached the play-off final in the seventh-tier.

Cisse has been part of the Baggies’ youth system since the age of nine and has had loan experience with Alvechurch and Rushall Olympic.

Ex-Arsenal academy goalkeeper Okonkwo joined Albion in 2026 and has become a regular for the PL2 side.

Rutter had been with Brighton’s academy since under-10s, but excelled after arriving on trial in the latter part of the previous campaign.

“On Brian, he came into our programme late last season, but used that time to do a lot of work with head of academy goalkeeping Phil Smart, and in the first team with Boaz Myhill,” Stevens added.

“Brian made a big impact at the football club and I believe he will benefit from the programme over the coming season.”