West Brom news as Xu Ke could return to fill role left by Ron Gourlay exit
West Brom fans are concerned the departure of Ron Gourlay could lead to the return of the unpopular Xu Ke as CEO at The Hawthorns, according to the Daily Mail.
In the print edition of the newspaper (5 June, page 63), it is reported Xu is the sole director left at the club’s holding company.
Xu was replaced by Gourlay in February 2022 but it was last week announced he would depart his role on June 14.
The Mail’s report read: “Ron Gourlay’s departure as CEO at West Bromwich Albion has left fans of the crisis club concerned about who might replace the former Chelsea chief.
Fears are growing that Gourlay’s predecessor, Xu Ke (known as Ken), could return, as he remains the sole director of the club’s holding company.
“Ken oversaw the calamitous appointment of Valerien Ismael from Barnsley, as well as a number of poorly judged contract negotiations. He is also the sole representative of controlling shareholder Guochuan Lai, who has not been seen at the club for over a year.”
Boardroom uncertainty surely makes Corberan exit inevitable
The departure of Gourlay sent the rumour mill swirling around the future of West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan last week.
It was reported that the Spaniard had a good working relationship with Gourlay and was one of the reasons why he committed to a new deal when Leeds United came sniffing for his services earlier this year.
However, the uncertainty about who is running day-to-day operations, coupled with fears about the financial stability of the club, means that Corberan – who reportedly has a release clause in his contract – has been tipped to leave.
Leeds, where Corberan is former Under-23s and first-team coach, are reportedly weighing up an approach once more and you could certainly see the lure for Corberan, both from a nostalgia and ambition perspective.
But whether it be moving to Elland Road or elsewhere, it seems inevitable that the uncertainty behind the scenes means there is only one outcome when it comes to Corberan’s future.
In other West Brom news, Erik Pieters’ future remains unclear as no agreement reached on new deal.