‘I’m hoping’ – Bilic confirms senior West Brom players could leave; report names 3 likely exits
West Brom manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed that several players are working on moves that would see them leave the Hawthorns.
Speaking to the Express and Star, Bilic said that the players who have been missing from his squads this season are ‘optimisic’ that they can move on. But he admitted that finding a club is hard.
The Express and Star understand that these players are Kamil Grosicki, Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore, who have all been deemed surplus to requirements at the Hawthorns.
When asked if players would be moving on this window, Bilic said, “That would be good. That’s also an important part of the transfer window, not only because of the budget and it would ease the wages, but because it’s not good to have a squad too big, who’d continue to train after the transfer window shuts.
“We’ll see. They have their contracts, the players who are missing are optimistic that something is going to happen in the club. It’s not that easy to find a club. They have their agents. I’m hoping that some of them will go.”
Time seems to be up for Austin and Zohore as Bilic searches for a new striker to lead the Baggies’ line in the Premier League.
It is surprising that Bilic is allowing Austin to move, as a player who has scored 34 goals in 106 Premier League appearances. He was also important to the Baggies’ promotion push last season, scoring 10 in 34 Championship games.
But Austin has been relegated to back-up, despite his Premier League record. He has made two appearances this season, both in the Carabao Cup.
He played 72 minutes in the 3-0 win against Harrogate Town, and came off the bench late on against Brentford before scoring in the penalty shoot-out that the Baggies eventually lost 5-4.
Grosicki also played against Harrogate, but that has been his only outing this season, and Zohore is yet to make an appearance.
Zohore is a rumoured target for Sheffield Wednesday, while Austin is reportedly a target for Derby County and Grosicki has interested Nottingham Forest. If these reports are accurate then we could easily see some transfer movement before the domestic transfer window closes on October 16.
In other West Brom news, Championship boss speaks out on striker linked with West Brom switch.
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