Ron Gourlay working with West Brom as a consultant on transfers
West Brom have hired former Chelsea CEO Ron Gourlay as a consultant on transfers this summer.
Valerien Ismael confirmed the development during his first-ever press conference as the side’s manager.
The British businessman will also be consulted on other areas after the Baggies board parted ways with sporting and technical director Luke Dowling last month.
Gourlay has experience working with Manchester United, and he was recently Reading CEO, spending a year in the role after five years at Stamford Bridge.
“We are close with Ken, Ian Pearce and Ron Gourlay. We are working very close together. It’s the new way that the club wanted and it’s exactly what I want,” the Frenchman said during his presser [Birmingham Mail]
“I need to have my focus on the pitch. I have explained to the club exactly the profile of players that I need in each position, so they know what we are looking for.”
Needed appointment
Ismael needs someone to help him out in the transfer window given the limited football knowledge of CEO Xu Ke, owner Guochuan Lai and operations director Mark Miles, and Gourlay is perfect for the task due to his massive experience.
Departures and arrivals are expected at the Hawthorns in the coming weeks, and the former Blues CEO knows how to go about things.
Chelsea won a Premier League title, two FA Cups, a Champions League title and the Europa League during his Stamford Bridge reign, and we can only hope he brings that good luck charm with him to West Brom in our promotion bid.
On the other hand, things did not exactly go well at Reading while Gourlay was CEO, and we would not like to have that version of him at the Albion.
The Madejski Stadium outfit flirted with relegation from the Championship in successive seasons under him, while he also oversaw some costly transfers, with Sam Baldock and Sone Aluko particularly proving to be massive letdowns.
West Brom need the Chelsea Gourlay, and we cannot wait to see how he fares this summer.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies want to smash transfer record as PL club eyes signing.
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