Exclusive: Phillips shocked by exit speculation surrounding West Brom ace who’s impressed him
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips has rubbished the idea of West Brom trying to get rid of Kamil Grosicki due to his reported £40,000-a-week wages at The Hawthorns.
According to Polish news outlet Interia Sport, the 32-year-old winger was earning £35,000-a-week but after reaching a certain number of Premier League appearances, his wages have been bumped up by an extra £5,000-a-week.
It is understood that Legia Warsaw are in talks to sign Grosicki and West Brom wouldd be willing to let the Poland international leave The Hawthorns on a free transfer.
However, Phillips has been impressed by what little he’s seen of the ex-Hull player this season and claims he could still have a role to play for the Baggies.
“That surprises me because £40,000-a-week nowadays is probably the basic wage in the Premier League,” Phillips told West Brom News.
“In the couple of games I saw him play in over January, he looked good so I certainly wouldn’t be looking to offload him. They’re not creating hundreds of opportunities to score.
“I’d look to keep him and try to get him in the squad and on the pitch.
“I’d be very surprised if the reason was the wages.”
Grosicki has been left out of Sam Allardyce’s last three matchday squads in the Premier League despite playing quite well against Wolves last month.
The ex-Rennes winger also played against Blackpool in the FA Cup and West Ham in the league and both matches ended in defeat.
Ahmed Musa is reportedly training with the Albion in a bid to win a contract [Daily Mail] and could be deemed as a better option by Big Sam than Grosicki.
Phillips clearly won’t be happy if Turbo does leave but while his wages seem quite big for a player who’s not featuring, it could be a case of him wanting to leave more than anything with a spot in Poland’s European Championship squad at risk if he stays.
In other West Brom news, this Albion player is set to be offered a £15,000-a-week contract by a manager who loves him.
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