West Brom staged June talks over re-signing Okay Yokuslu, July decision expected
West Brom have made moves in recent weeks to re-sign Celta Vigo midfielder Okay Yokuslu, according to Spanish news outlet Faro de Vigo.
The Vigo newspaper claims the West Midlands club have been working on a deal to bring back the 27-year-old who starred on loan last season, despite their relegation to the Championship.
They wrote on their Twitter account that West Brom “wanted the signing of the Turk and now regrets not having accepted the mandatory purchase option that Celta wanted.”
They went into detail on the club’s attempts on the article on their website, which is behind a paywall.
In the article, they claim Albion have “tried in recent weeks to get his signing” but have found that there are other English clubs in the Premier League who are also eyeing a move for Yokuslu.
Faro de Vigo have reported that Albion have tried to negotiate with Celta but have been palmed off by the La Liga club onto their agents that are organising his sale this summer.
According to the newspaper they “have been placed in the hands of the most influential brokerage agency in the Premier League”, and will present the proposals to Celta in less than two weeks.
The impossible deal?
It looks like this is a deal that could prove extremely difficult to pull off.
Yokuslu proved last season that he is a player capable of competing in the Premier League, despite tailing off somewhat towards the end of the campaign.
He was a popular figure among supporters for some industrious displays in the middle of midfield.
However, his Euro 2020 tournament with Turkey was a disaster as they crashed out of the group stages without a point, and he certainly did not enhance his reputation there.
Perhaps that has given us a slight chance of bringing him back, but the recent arrival of Alex Mowatt from Barnsley in midfield has lessened the urgency to bring another midfielder in.
We certainly believe at least another one should be added after Conor Gallagher and Ainsley Maitland-Niles also departed The Hawthorns, but the club may be able to take their time in pursuing targets now.
The return of Yokuslu would be a welcome sight for most, if not all, Albion fans, and he would surely be one of the best performers in the division.
However, we’re remaining realistic, and we know signing him on a permanent deal is highly unlikely for a multitude of reasons, including the cost and his preference to play in the Premier League.
In other West Brom news, this Albion forward has issued a major announcement over his future after a nightmare 2020/21 season.
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