Sources: Derek McInnes in contention to be next West Brom manager
Former West Brom captain Derek McInnes is in the running to be the next Baggies manager, West Brom News understands.
McInnes, 49, left Aberdeen by mutual consent in March after eight years in charge of the Scottish Premiership club.
West Brom are extremely likely to be relegated from the Premier League this season with the Black Country club currently sitting 19th in the table and 10 points from safety with nine matches left to play. Six of those games are against teams in the top half.
West Brom News has been told by a source at the club that Sam Allardyce will quit The Hawthorns at the end of the season if Albion are relegated back to the Championship.
There is a break clause in Big Sam’s deal at The Hawthorns which can be activated by either him or the club if he fails to keep the Baggies in the Premier League.
McInnes has now emerged as a contender to replace Allardyce if he walks away.
McInnes made 87 appearances for West Brom between 2000 and 2003, captaining the club to their first-ever promotion to the Premier League when Gary Megson was in charge.
During his playing days, the former midfielder also earned two caps for Scotland and had spells at Greenock Morton, Rangers, Dundee United, Millwall and St Johnstone.
He earned his first gig in management at St Johnstone and impressed at the Perth club before grabbing the attention of Bristol City.
McInnes’ one and only spell in English management lasted just over a year before he was sacked in January 2013.
Two months later, he was hired by Aberdeen, where he won the 2013/14 Scottish League Cup and led the Dons to four consecutive second-place finishes in the Scottish Premiership.
However, he left Pittodrie last month after a rotten spell of form but is in the frame to return to management at West Brom ahead of next season.
In other West Brom news, Guochuan Lai faces a huge issue with the club’s value set to plummet around 50 per cent upon relegation.
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