Cedric Kipre contract talks hang in balance amid West Brom takeover uncertainty as Carlos Coberan hails ‘excellent’ defender
West Brom will have to “balance” new contract talks with Cedric Kipre against an ongoing need to reduce the wage bill while the “uncertainty” around the takeover situation remains, according to Express & Star.
The paper reported via their website on 20 December that despite the defender’s current deal expiring in the summer and manager Carlos Corberan branding his recent performances “excellent” the Baggies still need to allow for potential cost-cutting measures.
Kipre, 27, has emerged as a key man for the Albion boss after returning from a season on loan at Cardiff City and amid extensive injury issues elsewhere within the squad has missed just one Championship start this term, where he was on the bench for the goalless draw with Millwall on 23 September.
Corberan said of Kipre: “He is playing, for me, well. He is showing well he is stable, he is showing consistency and stability in his performances.
“It’s not about when a player listens, because it looks like we have the solutions and not him – good performances depend the players.
“His level of concentration, focus and commitment with his performances have been excellent. The challenge is to keep this level, to try to be the best he can be with himself.
“If he commits with this, learn from mistakes, then he is a more proactive player, he will reduce mistakes and compete well because he has very good skills.”
Clock ticking
In the wake of Dara O’Shea’s sale to Burnley in the summer, itself part of an attempt to address the perilous financial situation at the club, Kipre has stepped up.
While the takeover appears to be approaching a conclusion the need to bring the wage bill down further remains until that point, and puts Corberan in danger of losing players in January.
Indications are that a deal to buy-out majority shareholder Guochuan Lai should be in the offing in the near future, which potentially gives West Brom time to hold off on contract talks for important parts of the squad until the transaction is completed.
But if another club spies the opportunity of snapping the likes of Kipre up next month it would give the club a decision to make.
Were the takeover not edging forward in the background they would absolutely need to consider any chance of receiving even a minor fee for a player whose deal is close to the end, so until the much-needed change at the top goes through the Baggies are on paper still in that boat.
A long-awaited answer to the ownership situation looks to be on the horizon as Lai is expected to grant exclusivity to one of three bidders imminently, but with the January transfer window opening in a matter of days there is a still a obvious element of risk.
Kipre remaining into February and a new regime embarking on negotiations over an extension would be the ideal outcome and Corberan will surely have his fingers crossed.
In other West Brom news, Chris Lepkowski has cited “serious witchcraft in play” as bad news mounts at The Hawthorns.