West Brom on verge of signing Okay Yokuslu as he rejects two big clubs in Europe
Okay Yokuslu is close to completing his return to West Brom after turning down moves to Besiktas and Galatasaray, according to Takvim.
The Turkish news outlet reported on Wednesday [13 July] that Yokuslu, 28, had meetings with the two Istanbul giants but neither were able to match his demands.
It is understood now that the Turkey midfielder, who’s a free agent after leaving Celta Vigo last month, is “about to sign” for the Baggies with an agreement close.
Getting closer
While Yokuslu divides opinion among West Brom fans for how well he did in his loan spell at The Hawthorns in 2021, there’s no denying that he should be a decent addition this summer.
Yokuslu is a free agent who’s got a bit of experience playing in England to go with his experience of playing internationally with Turkey and in La Liga with Celta Vigo and Getafe, where he spent the second half of last season on loan.
Yokuslu struggled for game-time last season and looked awful for Turkey at the European Championships last year so fitness is going to understandably be a concern for Albion fans.
However, as far as free agent signings go, we cannot have too many complaints here.
There are some reservations, yes. But ultimately, Yokuslu is an upgrade on what Steve Bruce already has at The Hawthorns and he should slot nicely into West Brom’s starting line-up.
Jake Livermore, Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby all struggled last term and you’d assume that if Bruce is looking for a player to fill a defensive midfield role, Yokuslu would be ahead of all of them.
In other West Brom news, a former Albion star is training at the club’s training ground as he looks to find a new club.
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