West Brom attempts to sign a former star player from Cardiff and Norwich City, who almost gave up on football at the age of 27.

Josh Murphy, a winger for Oxford United, is reportedly the target of a summer transfer raid from West Brom.

Murphy is the twin brother of Newcastle United player Jacob, and according to The Sun, the Baggies are among six teams interested in signing him. Murphy was reportedly under observation by scouts from West Brom, Southampton, QPR, Sunderland, and Hull City, all of whom are Championship rivals. There were rumors that Minnesota United, under the direction of former Man United and Shrewsbury Town coach Eric Ramsay, had representation at Kassam Stadium as well.

In the U’s 5-0 victory over Peterborough United, he scored once and assisted on two more goals, guaranteeing his current team’s spot in the League One playoffs. Murphy, who is available on a free transfer, has six goals and four assists in 25 league games for Oxford this season.

Murphy joined Oxford in July 2022, under Karl Robinson’s tenure, on a two-year contract. He joined Cardiff City four years ago for an estimated £11 million, having previously played for Norwich City.

The winger, who was born in Wembley, has played in both the Premier League and the Championship throughout the majority of his career. In 199 games played in the second division of English football, he has 24 goals and 26 assists. He has contributed five goals in 38 Premier League games.

Last week, Murphy said he was thinking about giving up football after realizing he was at a loss after his loan at Preston North End didn’t work out. Cardiff City let him go, but following a heartfelt conversation with his brother, he felt motivated to continue playing.

Murphy told the Daily Mirror, “There was a moment when I did ask myself, ‘Do I want to play football anymore?'” There was a great deal of introspection. “Am I deserving enough?” similar things. Premier League players are now openly discussing these topics, as you can see.

“However, I had a lot of wonderful discussions with Jacob. While he was still at Newcastle, he had a number of bad loans before turning things around in just one season. He is now well-liked there and has participated in this season’s Champions League.

“It was important to just talk to him and understand that things do change in sports. I’m quite appreciative of that. I’m not sure what I would be doing at this moment if it weren’t for him.”

In other news, Stoke City is thinking about bringing Jay Rodriguez on board. The Potters are planning a move for the one-cap England international this summer, according to a TEAMtalk report. Rodriguez has had difficulty getting starts this season and is not under contract at Burnley. Out of his 20 league games this season, he has only started seven and scored two goals.

Rodriguez played for The Hawthorns for two years before moving to Burnley from West Brom. The 34-year-old stuck with West Brom despite their Premier League relegation in 2018 and scored 33 goals in 90 games.