'We still love him': Ryan Mason gives Tom Fellows sale view after winger completes £10m Southampton switch

On Friday Fellows, who lit up the Championship in his first full season, completed a £10m switch to Southampton after repeated speculation over his future across recent transfer windows.

Albion accepted a bid for Fellows on Thursday - with the winger, who has been at the club since the age of ten, signing a four year deal on Friday.

It is the latest sale in what has been a busy week of departures and incomings at the club. Sales of Fellows, as well as Caleb Taylor and Darnell Furlong have significantly strengthened Albion's position when it comes to complying with PSR financial rules.

Albion's work to deal with the restrictions has been well publicised and they turned down multiple offers for Fellows - with the £10m the highest they had received for the winger.

Asked about the feeling around Fellows' departure days before the end of the window - Albion boss Mason insisted Fellows will remain well loved at the club after a special 12 months.

However, he admits that he understands the need for the sale and how much it will help the club.

He said: "We understand that feeling, everyone at the club loves Tom and we still do.

"When a player comes through the academy and makes a mark on the first team it is pretty special.

"But at the same time we understand the situation at the club, we knew we would have to nativgate through a situation to make us even better and stronger going forward.

"We knew Tom was a possibility, we knew in January it may be a possibility, we knew in this window it might happen.

"In football you get chain reactions, a domino affect and things have moved fast with this.

"We wish him all the best, we love him and still do and hope he has a great career.

"Now the focus is on us, we had another academy player make his debut today in Alex Williams, he played in the cup and to come on in this game and help the team is super positive."