Okay Yokuslu reveals he would only drop to a lower division for West Brom
West Brom sealed the return of Okay Yokuslu last week and the Turkish international has revealed that his love for the club convinced him to drop a division.
Yokuslu felt at home during his previous loan spell at Albion in 2021 even without fans present at matches and the club getting relegated to the Championship.
The midfielder told the Express & Star after Albion’s friendly win over Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin on Saturday (23 July) that it was this feeling that convinced him to drop down to the Championship.
“I accept that challenge to be promoted, this is the only place I can accept that challenge – I want to fight with the guys for this club,” he said.
“When I was here before I was feeling really good, I love the club, the people at the club. It feels like home.
“I have a really special relationship with the fans, they are amazing, the Baggies are best for me.”
Good things to come
The arrival of Yokuslu was exactly what Albion needed this summer, with a string of concerning pre-season performances setting some doubt into Albion fans’ heads.
However, his return has injected a bit of good feeling back into the club and reframes the entire summer, with the club attracting a player back who shone for them in the Premier League.
While having him back in an Albion shirt is a massive boost for fans, they must be patient with their new man as he returns to fitness.
He has barely kicked a ball since he left the club the first time around and has missed out on the vast majority of pre-season training.
Yokuslu will need time to regain his fitness before he can be thrown into a league as physical and as demanding as the Championship as well as needing time to settle in and adapt to a new system.
However, he should make a huge impact once he does find his feet and Albion will have one of the strongest midfield forces in the league on paper once he does.
In other West Brom news, fans have been accused of signing offensive songs during their friendly with Hertha Berlin.