George Overhill

Sat 13 January 2024 8:10, UK

There is understood to be “serious interest” in a number of West Brom players during the January transfer window, with the club forced to reduce the wage bill regardless of takeover developments, according to Lewis Cox.

The Express & Star journalist reported via the paper’s website on 12 January that John Swift and Brandon Thomas-Asante were targets for rival clubs, as well as youngster Tom Fellows.

With the news that Shilen Patel is Guochuan Lai’s preferred bidder it is still not known when a deal will be concluded, and the worrying financial position at The Hawthorns leaves the club at risk of needing to let players go, with West Brom’s resolve tipped to be tested later in the January transfer window.

Everton emerged this week as a Premier League club interested in signing Fellows, on top of Championship threats in the form Southampton and Leicester City.

Sobering reality

The development with Patel advancing into pole position to become the next Baggies owner has made the long-awaited new era move within touching distance.

But until it arrives, and by the looks of things even once it does, the effects of the current regime’s running of the club remain all too real.

Carlos Corberan has managed to overcome summer departures from the likes of Dara O’Shea with relative ease as he has guided the club to fifth in the table at this stage of the season.

The attack has been depleted further by ever-increasing injuries and losing the likes of Swift and Thomas-Asante might be the straw that broke the camel’s back in terms of staying in contention for promotion.

It remains to be seen what offers, if any, actually materialise before the window shuts, but little can ever be truly ruled out during January.

The complete gutting of the squad that was feared in the summer didn’t come to pass, but as a result it is still currently too expensive.

Promotion back to the Premier League would presumably ease the financial burden greatly, but it might be a stretch to make it that far with the current wage bill.

Corberan has shown that he can give the Albion a good chance of just that with the players he has at his disposal, but losing too many more important ones might undercut him.

Thomas-Asante has made 24 Championship appearances and scored seven goals with Daryl Dike only just returning from injury and Josh Maja has been ruled out for significant stretches twice, while Swift scored six in a blistering start to the season before fitness issues of his own interrupted his form.

In other West Brom news, a permanent exit has been agreed as part of a deal to finally bring a new arrival to The Hawthorns this month.