West Brom in advanced talks to sign Marvelous Nakamba, agent expects deadline-day Aston Villa exit
Marvelous Nakamba’s agent has confirmed the Aston Villa midfielder could be on the move in the final hours of the January transfer window amid speculation linking him with a move to West Brom.
Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke reported on Monday (30 January) that Albion are in “advanced talks” to sign the 29-year-old Zimbabwe international, who’s not made a single appearance for West Midlands rivals Villa this season.
According to the Birmingham Mail, the Baggies want to add a fresh face to their squad before the 11pm transfer deadline on Tuesday (31 January) and Nakamba is free to leave Villa Park.
As quoted by the Birmingham Mail on Tuesday, Nakamba’s agent David Manasseh confirmed that he’s in the progress of a deal for his client to leave the Villans.
He said: “I’m working on it, I’m sure by tomorrow (deadline day) we will have a result.”
Last-ditch improvements
It’s been a very quiet transfer for West Brom.
Guochuan Lai promised earlier this year that he’d repay a £5million debt to the club ahead of the January transfer window so that it could be invested in the squad.
It’s almost February and that money is still somewhere in the Far East – as far as we know.
It means that Carlos Corberan has had nothing to play with this month other than money he’s been able to free up in the transfer window.
Unfortunately – and expectedly – there have been no takers for players like Karlan Grant and Kenneth Zohore, so the only out for the Baggies this month has been Martin Kelly’s Monday loan move to Wigan.
Nakamba hasn’t kicked a ball in anger for Villa’s first team all season.
The former Club Brugge midfielder also only played 18 times last season for Villa due to a serious knee injury but before that setback, he was doing very well for Steven Gerrard.
Will he be a good signing for West Brom?
It’s hard to tell because if we get the Nakamba from before that injury, he’ll start most games. But if we get the Nakamba that Villa have had this season, we probably won’t see much of him as he’ll just be an option to sit on the bench.
In other West Brom news, Celtic have accepted an offer from the Baggies for this January signing.