New West Brom owners must prioritise Cedric Kipre future as January splurge ruled out
With the January transfer window around the corner, there is plenty of speculation about whether or not West Brom manager Carlos Corberan will be able to add to his squad.
The Albion boss was unable to spend a penny during the summer transfer window, instead being limited to loan and free-agent signings due to a lack of investment from those above him at The Hawthorns and that looks unlikely to change in January.
However, there is light at the end of the tunnel for both Corberan and Baggies supporters as it appears as though a takeover is getting closer, with reports suggesting that a new owner could be in post in West Bromwich before the end of January [Express & Star, 13 December].
But these potential new owners will not be able to immediately wave a magic wand and spend millions to add to the Baggies squad, with Adrian Goldberg suggesting that new EFL rules will not allow Championship teams to splurge millions by spending more than 70 per cent of their income on salaries [The Liquidator, 17 December].
That doesn’t mean that the new owners are unable to help the West Brom squad when they arrive at The Hawthorns though and the priority on their agenda should be extending the contract of Cedric Kipre after his impressive displays this season.
The 27-year-old’s Albion contract expires at the end of the 2023/24 season and the Baggies cannot afford to let him leave for free at the end of the season given his excellent form in recent weeks.
In West Brom’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City last time out, Kipre showed his incredible quality both in and out of possession, completing 91 per cent of his 65 attempted passes, more than any other player on either side. Off the ball, the defender won seven of his nine attempted duels both in the air and on the ground [Fotmob].
Few players in the Championship have been as dominant in the tackle as Kipre this season. The 27-year-old tackles more dribblers per game than 85 per cent of the division’s centre-backs per 90 minutes and has won more challenges in the defensive third than 86 per cent of his positional peers [Fbref].
On top of that, the Baggies star places in the 83rd percentile for interceptions made per game and the 88th percentile for the highest percentage of aerial duels won per 90 minutes. Kipre has been dominant at the heart of defence at The Hawthorns so far this season.
If West Brom allow the 27-year-old to leave for nothing at the end of the season, it will cost a hell of a lot to sign a new centre-back capable of performing at that level. Whoever takes over at The Hawthorns has to tie the defender down to a new deal as soon as possible.
In other West Brom news, the Baggies need a takeover to happen quickly or risk losing Corberan amid his frustrations