West Brom defender Kyle Bartley eyed by Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, £3m could seal deal
West Brom star Kyle Bartley could be sold for £3million this summer with Premier League clubs sniffing around the defender, according to the Telegraph.
The 30-year-old only signed a new deal at The Hawthorns in February [The Athletic], but he could be set to leave just five months later with Newcastle United and Crystal Palace eyeing up the Englishman.
Bartley’s new contract only extended his stay by a year which means he will be a free agent in the summer of 2022, and thus he “could be landed” for around £3million after “emerging as an option” for the Premier league duo, as per the Telegraph’s report.
On the cheap
Bartley may only have a year left on his existing deal but £3million still seems like a fairly paltry sum of money for one of our best performers last season.
In a dismal campaign that saw many players seize up under the pressure of an intense relegation battle, Bartley was a rare bright spark alongside Sam Johnstone and Matheus Pereira, putting in some imperious displays at the heart of a defence that was bombarded for most of the time.
Former Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino hailed him as “heroic” on talkSPORT’s GameDay Breakfast show [06:00, 13/03/21] in March.
There has been no suggestion that he is desperate to exit The Hawthorns this summer but it would be hard to stand in his way if he did wish to leave.
He’s at an age where he might feel his chances at the top-level are fading, and he would likely get the extra security of a two or three-year contact were he to make the move to the Premier League this summer.
That’s all well and good for Bartley, but can we not hold out for a more sizeable fee?
He proved himself as a solid Premier League player last season and, allied to his homegrown status, that should help to drive up the price.
In other West Brom news, Albion are in line to net a windfall as a Premier League giant opens £7million exit talks over this ex-WBA talent.
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