West Brom takeover: Guochuan Lai in exclusivity arrangement with potential buyer
Guochuan Lai has entered an exclusivity agreement with a potential buyer for West Brom who might want to keep Sam Allardyce in charge, according to the Sunday People.
Chief sports writer for the Sunday People Neil Moxley reported in the print edition [April 4] that Allardyce is likely to be kept on as Baggies manager if Lai sells the Black Country club to the interested party he’s been in talks with for the “past couple of months”.
West Brom News has been told by a source at the club there is a break-clause in Big Sam’s contract at The Hawthorns which can be activated by either party in the summer.
He’s set to quit Albion if they are relegated but the prospect of a new owner appears to have changed the landscape.
New owner, new start, same Big Sam?
In the last week, we’ve seen record-breaking temperatures in March for the UK while snow is forecast for Easter Monday across parts of the country.
Albion fans are as fickle as the weather on this island.
If you did a poll about Allardyce last week, we imagine the majority of fans would have been happy for him to walk away at the end of the season.
However, after a massive 5-2 win away at Chelsea on Saturday, there’s no doubt that the majority would want Big Sam to stay if we’re relegated.
We’ve always been on the fence about Allardyce. Even when he was hired, we were sceptical he could manage such a seemingly impossible task at The Hawthorns. But, then again, who could have?
We’re also still divided now. If we’re relegated, do we keep the manager who’s clearly made improvements at The Hawthorns? Or do we go for someone who could be seen as a more long-term appointment?
Either way, Allardyce doesn’t represent much of a risk considering he’s won promotion from the Championship before and clearly knows how to get the best out of these players.
While there will be sections of fans who’ll want Big Sam gone in the summer regardless, we reckon that those fans will be happy for the ex-England manager to stay if Lai is gone.
At the end of the day, the crux of our issues lies at the Chinese businessman’s doorstep.
In other West Brom news, if Allardyce does leave, this former Albion captain is in the running to succeed him in charge of the club.
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