West Brom takeover update surely not far off as Carlos Corberan reveals contract talks have begun
After Carlos Corberan revealed West Brom are in talks with several players over new contract offers, some news about the ongoing takeover is surely not far away.
Corberan told the Express & Star [6 January] that Albion are working towards several new deals for players with expiring contracts, naming Tom Fellows as chief among them.
The Daily Mail reported on 11 November that the prospective new owners at The Hawthorns are determined not to lose Fellows, which ties up with the new offer speculation in recent days.
Speaking to the Express & Star [16 October], journalist Lewis Cox hinted that contract decisions would be handled by the new owners, sharing: “May is in, what, seven months’ time? Interesting times between now and then, not least the January transfer window.
“The time scale is an interesting one because it also fits in with the end of next season when a lot of senior and long-serving Albion players are out of contract, so there’s a bit of a line in the sand financially there as well.”
The number of contracts set to expire in the summer is alarming at first viewing, but the update from Corberan confirming negotiations have started is surely a massive hint that the takeover talks are progressing.
January is a crucial time for contracts, with expiring deals opening up the opportunity for foreign clubs to begin negotiations in pre-contract deals – something West Brom will be keen to avoid when it comes to losing their more important players.
It is accepted that Albion will have to bring down their wage bill amid concerns over Profit and Sustainability rules, as well as the money going into the club after controlling stakeholder Guochuan Lai pulled his investment, but opening contract talks does suggest some movement.
Cox described the contract expires as a “financial line in the sand”, and a report from Express & Star [20 December] suggested talks over a deal for Cedric Kipre were waiting on the takeover uncertainty to be solved, but things finally look to be moving into place.
An update on the takeover is expected to arrive soon, given the initial new-year deadline provided and expectations rising, but with the contract update, it feels like a matter of time until some good news arrives.
In other West Brom news, Albion could benefit from a £150million twist.