West Brom signing Okay Yokuslu delights former Baggie Nigel Quashie with first comments
Former West Brom midfielder Nigel Quashie was thrilled by new Baggies signing Okay Yokuslu’s first interview with WBA TV.
The Turkish international has returned to the Hawthorns on a free transfer after leaving Celta Vigo in La Liga, having spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan at Getafe.
He previously spent half a season on loan with West Brom in 2021, proving to be a successful signing, but was unable to prevent the club from being relegated to the Championship.
After becoming Steve Bruce’s third free transfer arrival of the summer, following Jed Wallace and John Swift, the 28-year-old spoke to the club’s in house TV channel, saying in a clip posted to the official Twitter page: “This is the only place that I can accept that challenge [promotion], because I want to fight with the guys for this club.
“I can give my word that I will give my best, and we will give our best, so hopefully we can be happy.”
Ex-Scotland international Quashie reacted on Twitter with delight, writing: “That’s like [music] to my [ears] what he’s just said”.
On message
Yokuslu is certainly making all the right noises after returning to the club on a permanent basis, and if he is able to back up his words on the pitch then the entire fanbase will be as pleased as Quashie already is.
Questions have been raised as to whether he is still the same player he was a year and a half ago after struggling for game time over the past season.
According to Transfermarkt he only featured for 461 minutes at Getafe, after just 193 at his parent club in the first half of the season.
That might suggest that he won’t have the same effect as he did the last time he came to the Midlands, but Bruce and the Albion hierarchy have clearly seen enough potential for him to make an impact to hand him a three-year deal.
Based on his words in the interview he is motivated and happy to return, which might be all he needs after a difficult time in Spain.
An environment where he has been personally successful before, with fans who are glad to see him back, might be the boost he requires to get back to the level that saw him become a central figure across 16 appearances in the English top flight.
If he and his fellow arrivals this summer can hit the ground running then there must be optimism that the club can maintain a promotion push after falling away badly last term.
In other West Brom news, that is apparently guaranteed based on the availability of one player according to one of his former Albion teammates.