West Brom sign Bristol City goalkeeper O'Leary

West Bromwich Albion have signed Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Max O'Leary on a six-month deal from Bristol City.

The 29-year-old becomes Baggies boss Eric Ramsay's first signing since taking charge and will try to strengthen a defence that has conceded eight goals in the new head coach's first two games.

Only bottom club Sheffield Wednesday have conceded more goals than West Brom's 43, with the Baggies 19th in the Championship table and just three points above the relegation zone.

O'Leary, who was out of contract at Ashton Gate this summer, has only played five times for the Robins this season after missing the start of the campaign because of ankle surgery.

He was ever-present as City reached the Championship play-off semi-finals but has lost his place this term to on-loan Manchester United stopper Radek Vitek.

O'Leary did start the first two matches of 2026 - a 5-0 win over Portsmouth and a 2-0 defeat by Preston - but Vitek's return from injury moved him back to the substitutes' bench.

His departure ends an 18-year association with City, having joined the club at under-11 level. O'Leary has made 179 appearances for the club, keeping 43 clean sheets.

"I'm really happy to be here," O'Leary told the club website., external "It was time for something new and a fresh challenge.

"When I was told about the interest, it was a move I was keen on making. I know the position of the club is difficult at the moment in terms of the table, but hopefully I can come in and help."

Albion's goalkeeping department has been a problem ever since Alex Palmer was sold to Ipswich a year ago.

The reliable academy product claimed the Championship's Golden Glove award with 19 clean sheets in the 2023-24 campaign as Carlos Corberan's side reached the play-offs and he'd recorded another 11 shut outs by the time the Baggies decided to cash in on him on transfer deadline day last February.

Another 'one of their own', Josh Griffiths, was expected to immediately take his place after being recalled from a successful loan at Bristol Rovers.

But Tony Mowbray initially opted for back-up keeper Joe Wildsmith, who has been plagued by mistakes despite arriving as another Golden Glove recipient with Derby, keeping 20 clean sheets in their League One promotion campaign two seasons ago.

Griffiths was eventually given the nod, ironically against O'Leary's Bristol City in April, and started the new campaign as Ryan Mason's first choice.

The 24-year-old has rescued the Baggies points in his first full season at this level, particularly in a phenomenal display in their last away win at Norwich in October.

But he was also prone to the odd error and was dropped for December's trip to QPR, before regaining his spot for Mason's final game in charge at Leicester.

The flip-flopping of shot-stoppers by the past two head coaches will have done no good for either keeper's confidence and while they haven't been helped by the outfield players in front of them, the stats do show that both Griffiths and Wildsmith have proven too easy to beat.

Only stricken Sheffield Wednesday (54) have conceded more goals than Albion (43) in the Championship so far and 43% of the shots on target they've faced this season have ended up in the net, which is the worst ratio in the division.

The heaviest home defeat in the second tier in Albion's history has now caused the club to act.

O'Leary is literally a short-term fix having only signed a deal until the end of the season.

But if he helps keep them at this level, it will have been worthwhile, and they can look at the long-term solution in the summer.