View: Saido Berahino will never be welcomed back to West Brom
Saido Berahino can pine after a return to West Brom as much as he wants but there is simply no way he will be welcomed back to The Hawthorns.
There are numerous reasons as to why the Baggies shouldn’t entertain the striker’s desperate cries for attention, even before mentioning how poorly he has done since exiting the Black Country club in 2017.
There were signs that Berahino was a problem child before he had his breakthrough at West Brom.
During his loan spell at Brentford in 2012, the Burundi-born forward managed to score four goals in eight appearances but had his temporary deal cut short due to a bust-up with manager Uwe Rosler.
In 2013, Berahino finally earned his first start for West Brom as he scored a hat-trick in a League Cup win against Newport County.
It was an impressive display that excited fans and led to him establishing himself in the first-team at The Hawthorns.
As good as Berahino did on the pitch during his first few years in the Albion senior squad, he did himself no favours off it.
A dressing room brawl with team-mate James Morrison led to suggestions that something wasn’t right with the striker and days later, he was caught inhaling hippy crack.
Then there’s the matter of him trying to forcee a move away from West Brom when Tottenham came calling.
Berahino said that he would never play for former chairman Jeremy Peace again after the Baggies blocked a move to Spurs. Days later, the forward posted an odd image of himself on a private jet – which was mocked by Chris Brunt and Gareth McAuley.
When Tony Pulis was placed in charge, Berahino remained an issue as his on-pitch form continued to decline as the ex-Baggies boss labelled the forward as being overweight.
Pulis isn’t someone who most West Brom fans remember fondly but if he is going to be praised for something, it is going to be the way he managed Berahino.
Eventually, Pulis cashed in on the troublesome forward and sold him to Stoke, where he continued to be problematic both on and off the pitch.
Now at Zulte Wagerem in Belgium, Berahino is crying out for West Brom to re-sign him as he’s recently told the Counter Attack podcast he would “100 per cent” go back to The Hawthorns if the chance arose.
Sorry, Saido. That simply isn’t happening and if it did, it would be the most controversial transfer in the club’s history.
In other West Brom news, Albion are eyeing this QPR winger.