Carlos Corberan suggests free agent signings still on the cards at West Brom
West Brom could still be in the market for new recruits as the free agent market is “going to be more useful this year”, suggest Carlos Corberan.
The Baggies boss, as reported by BirminghamLive (7 September), noted how much the marketplace has changed in recent years, pointing to “new markets” like Saudi Arabia and their prolonged window.
Corberan hinted at further transfer activity at the Hawthorns, however, suggesting that the pool of free agents could be tapped into.
Corberan said: “This market is going to be different for everyone in the world. The fact that this year there appears new markets, for example Saudi Arabia, and they don’t have the same timeline as Europe, it’s different.
“Not just for West Bromwich, but for football, the free players’ market is going to be more useful this year than previous years because some things can happen, that nobody expects, in the next two weeks.”
More to come?
West Brom are no stranger to a free agent signing and, like most Championship sides, could always benefit from an injection of quality personnel to keep the squad fresh.
The Baggies have not been too active in the market amid their ongoing financial difficulties, but the deals they have done are impactful.
Josh Maja as a free agent could prove a real coup for Corberan, while loan deals for Brighton’s Jeremy Sarmiento and Ludogrets’ right-back Pipa add first-team quality profiles to the squad.
However, this pair will depart the club at the end of the season, so the Baggies may be keen to add more permanent faces to the side especially considering their long list of departures.
Having lost the likes of Karlan Grant and Taylor Gardner-Hickman after their loans expired, club captain Jake Livermore and start centre-back Dara O’Shea, it would be tough to find a Baggies fan who thinks their current squad is an improvement on last season’s.
Baggies players will likely be safe from Saudi Arabian sides coming in for their players before their window shuts, however, but markets in Greece and Turkey do not shut until mid-September, meaning Corberan may have to fend off potential interest in his players from mainland Europe.
However, the Hawthorns faithful should keep an eye on potential freebies in the next few weeks.
In other West Brom news, Corberan has made an incredible Baggies transfer admission.