Nathaniel Chalobah should seal West Brom transfer exit on Thursday
West Brom midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah is expected to seal his transfer to Maccabi Tel Aviv FC having arrived in Israel yesterday, according to Eretz Sport.
The 28-year-old reportedly attended Maccabi Haifa’s Champions League win over Hamrun Spartans on Tuesday evening as he headed to Israel to confirm his transfer away from the Hawthorns, as shared by the French-Israeli outlet.
Once capped by England in 2018, Chalobah joined the Baggies from Fulham only in January, making 13 appearances but failing to score or assist as Carlos Corberan’s side finished ninth, three points outside the play-off places.
The former Chelsea man was left out of the match-day side for the final four matches of the Championship season and with only 12 months left on his deal at West Brom, was granted permission to discuss a potential move to Israel earlier this week and was noticeably absent from the Baggies 1-0 pre-season defeat to Cheltenham Town.
Not worked as hoped
There was understandably interest in how Chalobah would fair on his return to the Championship after a six-month sabbatical in the Premier League with Fulham, having struggled with injury issues when the Cottagers’ won England’s second tier in 2022.
But all in all, it has been a transfer that couldn’t have worked out much worse for either party, the 28-year-old was unable to really impact the Baggies midfield with the ambition when he headed to the Midlands to creep into the play-off places.
However, only offering the midfielder an 18-month contract seems to have been a very clever decision by those high up at the Hawthorns, with Corberan’s purse strings already pulled tightly, it would have been financially very dangerous to be stuck in a contract with Chalobah.
On a personal note, it is a shame to see a player who was once viewed as one of England’s bright midfield talents for the future, leaving the limelight at only 28 years old, but hopefully, a change of scenery will allow Chalobah to kick-start his career once again.
In other West Brom news, Grady Diangana is progressing well after a second surgery in pre-season