Carlos Corberan admits West Brom still searching for late January transfers
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has admitted he still wants to make signings in this transfer window, with a midfielder likely to be the number one priority, according to Birmingham Live.
The Spaniard is keen to add a central midfielder to his ranks in case of an injury to either Okay Yokuslu or Jayson Molumby but admitted he knew how tough the market was to navigate.
The Baggies boss was also stung by the recent news that winger Matt Phillips may not kick another football this season after having to undergo quad surgery.
Speaking to the press (Friday 27 January) ahead of West Brom’s clash against Bristol City in the FA Cup, Corberan opened up on his ambitions to add fresh faces to his squad.
As reported by Birmingham Live, he said: “We are still looking for the player or the players that we think can help us to improve. I know that the market, especially this one, is not easy.
“I know the club is making all the effort that they can, and they still need the time. We have some days left to see if we can make the improvements that we are going to be looking to make.
“Right now, I think there is one main position we need to cover. We have the possibility after that to look at alternative positions. Of course, the injury of Phillips affects our type of decisions, it affects too which steps the players who can play in this position are going to give.”
Squad depth
The injury to Phillips is a huge blow to West Brom’s promotion chances, as the attacker had been rejuvenated since Corberan’s arrival and had looked back to his very best.
It isn’t just his ability on the pitch that the Baggies will sorely miss, but also his leadership in the changing room.
As Corberan noted, unless further injuries strike the first-team, he should have enough attacking options in reserve to deal with his absence, so therefore, a midfielder remains top of the list for the club.
Yokuslu has been a man possessed in recent weeks, and although a permanent signing may not be required due to his form, a loan could provide the squad depth in case of an injury.
The Baggies don’t want to look back at this window and rue their inaction, so a smart loan or low-risk signing in the middle of the park could be on the cards before next week’s deadline.
In other West Brom news, the club looked to have put themselves on a collision course with league sanctions with a recent move.