George Campbell, an atypical Bilkul prototype signing.

With WBA's spending budget heavily restricted due to the travails and errors of old regimes, the key to this season’s new signings is maximizing value.

The Albion's most recent acquisition is the powerful American defender, George Campbell, whose pathway to Albion is a less atypical US sports journey, but is it a transfer that will ultimately pay dividends?

In creating this article, I was able to ask several media experts in the US, ex players, commentators and lead media personalities, who’ve seen George play in the MLS for the past six seasons for their informed take, as they’ll have more insight into Campbell's pedigree than most.

Their responses were consistent and realistic about the impact George will make at the Albion, but I’ll come to those points later in the article.

Firstly, George…

George Campbell is 24 years old and grew up in Chester, Pennsylvania, a town 40 Minutes from Philadelphia.

George is the youngest of seven kids, from a self confessed ‘sports mad’ family.

Being the youngest in the family, George reflected as being an ‘asset', ‘I was always watching more’, Campbell spent much of his childhood playing both basketball and soccer with his extended family and friends, not being over coached and over exposed, as many young athletes in the US are.

Soccer was a generational reflection of the changing nature of life in the US, in George’s words, ‘It wasn’t the sport of my parents’

It was a solid rite of passage, always competing against older siblings [both who became college soccer players] and an array of cousins, until the family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, as George’s dad secured a post at his Alma Mata, Morehouse College, where he'd shined as a college wrestler, but now was appointed Vice Chancellor of Financial Affairs.

George joined his local MLS team Atlanta United from his schoolboy local club Georgia United and he states it wasn’t until he was 18, that he really saw football as a pathway to a career, and with it a change of personal mentality and ambition to the sport.

And in terms of pathways, George’s journey was pretty much against the grain of many US teenage athletes, not taking the typical college route for most, including future WBA team mate Daryl Dike, who is a year older and thrived for two seasons at the University of Virginia before joining Orlando City as the 5th pick in the 2020 National Soccer Draft.

For two formative seasons, Campbell played in his preferred position of central midfield for Atlanta United 2, until fate and a transfer set the first roots to a future as a US International Footballer.

The pathway came through two sources, a change in mentality after being told by his coach, they were acquiring a new player in his position, and secondly the necessity to change position due to injury.

With no cover at centre half, George was informed pre game for Atlanta United 2, he was to start in central defence, and in his own words, ‘I took off like a rocket!’

Campbell confesses he sees being a defender as a much more enjoyable position to play, ‘I see the whole field so much better’, and this wider view still allows an instinct to in his words, ‘look for the space and look for the forward pass earlier’.

Seeing Campbell play, there is no doubt he is more comfortable on the ball than most MLS central defenders and this inner confidence and ease in possession and transition both in long and short range are the testimony to his upbringing and background as a midfield player.

Indeed, when asked about the defenders he admires the most, Campbell lists similarly stylistic players who are athletic and read the game well, Thiago Silva, Virgil Van Dijk, Vincent Kompany and indeed, Joleon Lescott amongst the ones he admired the most.

Campbell made his debut for Atlanta United in March 2020, playing for The Five Stripes for two seasons, and left this hotbed of a soccer city for life north of the border and a very different climate in the ice hockey hub that is Montreal, in December 2022.

Campbell played just under twice as many games for CF Montreal, 70 to 36 at Atlanta United, and in his time made the MLS Play Offs in his first season in 2023, his undoubted athleticism and potential was later spotted by the US National Team, and he made his International debut in Jan 2025 in a 3-1 win v Venezuela.

Campbell, with his extended family watching, described his emotions pregame for his USMNT baptism, as uncharacteristically ‘jittery’, but the whole experience was ‘special’, and George made a very solid debut, playing for 88 Minutes.

Of course the US coach is ex Spurs boss, Mauricio Pochettino and it’d be interesting to know if ‘Poch’ was contacted about his take on Campbell as a potential Baggie, from his ex coach, Baggies boss, Ryan Mason?

Prior to interest from the Albion, Campbell spoke of the ‘attraction’ of playing overseas, and after an initial contact a few months ago, a much more solid quest by Bilkul to sign came a fortnight ago.

Timing is everything of course, Campbell became a Baggie a day after his wedding day, and being two thirds through the MLS season, fitness won’t be an issue at this stage of the season.

It’s worth noting however, this will now possibly be a 15 Month unbroken spell of football for George, up to May 2026, and maybe even beyond, as his dream of being part of the US squad for the World Cup.

Hopefully of course, accompanied by a certain Mr.Dike.

In terms of making an initial impact at The Albion, I asked several MLS experts for their personal take on George, seeing him play live several times from their roles at Apple TV and beyond.

Firstly there was a uniformity in terms of Campbell’s potential and very good value for the price The Albion are outlaying.

[It’s also worth noting that in the six professional seasons of Campbell’s career he’s had a DIFFERENT coach EVERY season, let’s hope Ryan Mason stays longer?!]

Some of the positive traits I received regarding Campbell was, ‘he’s a strong player, good on the ball, conditioned to play out as a centre back’, [influenced heavily by CF Montreal’s Laurent Courtois.

Character wise, Campbell should fit in really well at the Albion, he describes himself as a ‘good listener’ and this is reinforced by the MLS expert view, ‘George will be an excellent team mate’, but those listening and self confessed strong adaptive traits may well be key to his future success.

The consensus reality check I got from the US media/ex players was, ‘He’s going to need time to adapt to the change of pace in The Championship’ to the evidence that, ‘He’s had some big learning moments from mistakes being punished’.

Campbell proudly speaks as his own biggest strength as being ‘brave on the ball’, and this we all know can be a trait that at times can bite you, but passing out of central defence is so key in the modern game and for sure Campbell’s vision of playing an early ball, long or short, is very impressive.

But can be a risk.

Overall, I think it’s fair to say we’ve signed an athletic, flexible defender with a physical presence with strong potential that will make an impact in The Championship, strengthen the squad and prove to be solid value for money.

The Bilkul DNA of transfer dealing and squad building is a very welcome move in looking beyond the domestic market of previous regimes of short term benefits of aging, over salaried players on the downward curve of their careers, with zero sell on value, to younger talent from world wide backgrounds, with rich potential who may thrive in The Championship and hopefully beyond.

For George to look at the possibilities of this move and a role model as a player, look no further than Torbjorn Heggem, signed as a virtual unknown to the Baggies faithful, when he was a year older than Campbell at 25, and observe the impact made in such a short space of time.

If Campbell can make a similar impact to Heggem, [and they are similar players, adaptable, able to play full back, or central defence, reads the game well, strong on one and one defending but can be prone to a passing error], it’ll be another wonderful piece of business by the Bilkul scouting network.

Fingers crossed.