Tom Ross reacts to West Brom takeover news in sooner the better Guochuan Lai verdict
Tom Ross has insisted the sooner West Brom can get rid of Guochuan Lai and his ownership the better, as talks continue to rumble on about the ongoing takeover at The Hawthorns.
The legendary midlands broadcaster insisted that while he doesn’t know how far along the negotiations with prospective buyer Shilen Patel are, the signs look good as things stand.
Ross said that the takeover is the main concern for most West Brom fans at the moment and hopes for good news after recent updates claimed Patel will soon enter a period of exclusivity to close the deal. [The Telegraph, 12 January]
Writing in his column for Birmingham Live [17 January], Ross shared: “What concerns every Baggies fan is the ownership situation and, as I understand it, owner Guochuan Lai is negotiating to sell the club to American multi-millionaire businessman Shilen Patel.
“I have no idea how far down the road negotiations are but the sooner the club is rid of Lai the better for everyone involved.
“Hopefully, Patel will soon be able to enter into a period of exclusivity whereby he can examine everything. He will also have to undergo the EFL ownership tests before completing the deal. However, the signs look good.”
Fans can start to be hopeful
After a long period of uncertainty about the ownership situation at West Brom, with concerns mounting over the financial situation particularly when the parachute payments from the Premier League were cut off in the summer, there now looks to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Following on from the news that the bidder was granted exclusivity, there will now be a period to negotiate the full details of the takeover before the EFL begins its checks, but there is further hope that those will be passed.
There is still no guaranteed timeframe in place for the takeover to be rubber-stamped by the relevant parties, but the continued positive progress towards getting a deal done is great news for everybody at The Hawthorns.
As Ross says, the sooner Lai is gone from the club, the better. Those days now seem to be rapidly approaching, with light at the end of the tunnel, and fans can afford to feel hopeful about the club not dictated by the reign of a terrible owner.
In other West Brom news, a talkSPORT journalist has been talking about the Black Country derby.
For more West Brom news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.