Omari Hutchinson has acknowledged that his unsuccessful loan transfer to West Brom in January last year left him feeling “a bit down” due to the “mentally frustrating” experience. The Chelsea prospect revealed to The Athletic on November 16 that he was en route to West Brom during the winter window last season when he was instructed to turn back. Despite preparing to face West Brom as an Ipswich Town player on November 25 after the international break, Hutchinson remains uncertain about the reasons behind the breakdown.
The Athletic had previously reported that the deal fell through partly because Swansea delayed their move for Karlan Grant until the last minute, causing another loan deal to collapse. Chelsea, concurrently focused on signing Enzo Fernandez, faced challenges during the same period. Hutchinson expressed his frustration, recounting the incident: “I was making my way up on the motorway when it all broke down. I was in the car with my brother, signing the papers on DocuSign on my phone. But not long into the drive, we were told to turn around. I am not too sure why. It was not the best.”
Despite the setback, Hutchinson tried to refocus on the under-21s but admitted feeling a bit down and mentally frustrated. He had anticipated playing in the Championship but is now grateful to be with Ipswich. Carlos Corberan, West Brom’s manager, missed out on Hutchinson, who has since become a key player at Portman Road, contributing to the team’s strong performance this season.
As West Brom looks to bounce back from a recent close loss to Southampton, Corberan will be wary of facing Hutchinson in the upcoming game. Ipswich, currently level on points with first-placed Leicester City, poses a tough challenge for West Brom. Kieran McKenna’s side, breaking records for a promoted team, is 13 points ahead of West Brom, with Hutchinson having scored once and provided three assists in 15 Championship appearances.
With Grant no longer at The Hawthorns due to his summer loan to Cardiff City, the absence of Hutchinson from nearly a year ago may be a source of frustration. Hutchinson aims to showcase what Corberan missed out on, and Corberan hopes to have key players back from injury, including John Swift and Josh Maja, for the upcoming challenging fixtures.