By George Overhill

17th Nov, 2023 | 12:10pm

West Brom face long-term shut-out from elite amid 'growing fears' over £915million development

West Brom are faced with being on the wrong end of a “cliff edge” outside the financial elite by an imminent new deal on money allocated to EFL clubs from the Premier League.

With the Baggies’ parachute payments already finished the gap between their ability to spend and those of the teams relegated from the top flight has grown significantly and there are fears it will soon get even worse.

With the current system due to be scrapped pending a vote among top flight clubs next week (21 November) the situation could cement the Albion’s place among the have-nots for the foreseeable future.

Martin Ziegler reported in The Times on 8 November: “There are growing fears among second-tier clubs that teams relegated from the top flight will get extra spending advantages under the ‘New Deal’ agreement between the Premier League and the EFL.”

The six-year deal is set to be worth a total of £915million in new money to the 72 EFL clubs and most feel they have “little option but to accept the offer” from the top flight.

The rest of the football pyramid has long sought greater financial provisions from the financial behemoth at the top, with the might of the Premier League affecting the Championship each season thanks to the parachute payments clubs come down with – the first year is currently worth £44m.

With Leicester City still top of the table currently despite back-to-back losses, Leeds United surging in third, and Southampton looking similarly ominous a point back in fourth, the three relegated sides from the summer are evidently dominating as it is.

Were it not for the record-breaking form of a newly promoted side in Ipswich Town the top three places would already be occupied by those that are currently benefiting from the financial boost of their first season in payments.

Under the proposed new deal the terms are set to change, but while EFL clubs will be expected to restrict their wage bill to 70% of their revenue that figure is due to be 85% for clubs coming down from the Premier League.

That has reportedly led to fears that the new will “hand even more advantages to relegated sides”, with one EFL club chief suggesting there will be a “cliff edge” between the three relegated sides and the rest of the division.

With West Brom having already wasted the advantage of the parachute payments they came down with last time – they ended after the second season in the Championship with the club only in the top flight for a single campaign on their previous visit – they are now stuck on the wrong side of the divide.

If that situation is set to get worse going forward then the pressure on Carlos Corberan to get his side back to the promised land as soon as possible is going to weigh even heavier.

And since the Baggies’ financial situation has been even more of a struggle amid the mess off the field it also makes the need for a takeover as soon as possible all the more pressing, in order to help avoid getting stuck outside the elite long-term.

In other West Brom news, the Baggies are eyeing a “prolific” forward in January after he surprisingly became available to move.