Wycombe is now sitting pretty near the top of the League One table thanks to the defender’s tremendous impact during his time in South Buckinghamshire and his formidable partnership with Joe Low.
Taylor made 19 appearances for the Blues, scoring his lone goal in a 4-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town.
Unfortunately, the news that all Chairboys supporters feared has come true because Taylor’s form has been sufficient to get him a chance for his parent club.
The Baggies need defensive reinforcements in January, but they have chosen to bring him back in Taylor rather than use the transfer market.
However, Taylor’s former club will need to use the transfer market to fill the void left by his departure, which may lead to Wanderers resuming their pursuit of Charlton Athletic defender Lloyd Jones.
Journalist Alan Nixon revealed last month that the Chairboys, who had been pursuing the strong defender before to his joining the Addicks, were once again eager to get his signature. Jones is admired by Matt Bloomfield, who hasn’t given up on the center-half.
The 29-year-old has made more than 50 appearances for the Reds in the past 18 months and has been a constant since moving to the Valley. After working with Nathan Jones at Luton Town, the former Liverpool player has been enjoying his new role. The defense has played a major role in Charlton’s recent improvement after the team started the season badly.
Jones might be persuaded to trade Red for Blue during the next transfer window, though, as the Buckinghamshire team is far ahead of his present squad in the standings. With only six months left on his current contract and no word on whether he will sign an extension, the Addicks might profit from the defender if Wycombe makes a good offer.
The Chairboys would be extremely reluctant to overpay for someone they could acquire for free in July, but they would hope that a lowball offer would persuade Charlton to let Jones move to Adams Park.
It’s clear to see what type of defender Bloomfield wants in his system. A tall, powerful centre-back who is comfortable playing out from the back and under pressure. Both Low and Taylor impressed during their time together as they possessed these qualities, which saw them excel in Bloomfield’s system.
What makes their partnership even more impressive is that both are in their early twenties, which means that neither has the level of experience some of the top defenders in League One have. It’s understandable why Wycombe are keen on Jones, as the Charlton defender possesses all the key attributes for him to succeed under Bloomfield, whilst also bringing a wealth of experience to the back line.
Whilst experience isn’t the be-all and end-all, as Low and Taylor have certainly proven, adding an experienced head to the defence could be extremely useful for the Chairboys. This could also aid the development of Low, as he will undoubtedly learn a lot from having Jones alongside him.
Not to mention, both the departed Taylor and Jones share similar strengths, which could make the 29-year-old the perfect like-for-like replacement for the former loanee.
The ex-Liverpool man is in the ballpark of Taylor’s stats, with 73.5% pass accuracy, compared to the latter’s 80.4%.
Both also notch very similar numbers when it comes to duels, with Jones winning 69.3% of his ground duels, and 70.2% of his aerial duels. The Albion defender trumps him again, but not by much, as he has won 72.9% of ground duels and 75.6% of aerial duels.
There would inevitably be interest in plenty of Wycombe’s star players, given the season they’ve had so far. The Blues have already lost Aaron Morley along with Taylor, and Low has been heavily linked with a move to Swansea City.
January could potentially make or break the Buckinghamshire-based side’s promotion hopes, depending on their activity in the transfer window. The task of replacing Taylor is a big one, especially in the middle of the season when many clubs are reluctant to sell players.
However, Wycombe’s approach to new signings is heavily reliant on data analysis, which the recruitment team will be looking at extensively.
Having compared the Charlton star to their former loanee, it seems that Jones would fit the bill to be Taylor’s replacement. Both notch very similar numbers in key areas, which are integral to the way Wycombe plays. But, a deal must only be struck at the right price, given Jones’ contract situation.
Bloomfield is a long-term admirer of Jones, hence the renewed interest after an unsuccessful attempt to sign him last summer.
The 40-year-old believes that Jones could be a key component in securing promotion, so it will be interesting to see if Wanderers continue to chase Jones’ signature.
