West Brom battling Celtic for Ben Pearson

West Bromwich Albion and Celtic are interested in signing Ben Pearson from Preston North End in the January transfer window, according to The Daily Mail. It has been reported that Brentford, who are aiming to win automatic promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, are also keen on securing the services of the midfielder this month.

Pearson is out of contract at Preston at the end of the season, and the Championship club in England could be forced to sell him now instead of losing him on a free next summer. According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old has made eight starts and one substitute appearance in the Championship so far this season, providing one assist in the process.

West Brom are struggling for survival in the Premier League at the moment and could end up back in the Championship next season. Celtic have fallen as many as 19 points behind leaders and bitter Old Firm rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership table, although they do have three games in hand.