West Brom must now hand four players new contracts to avoid Hawthorns promotion disappointment
West Brom must now prioritise handing out new contracts to first-team players Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre, Alex Mowatt and Matt Phillips, according to Carlton Palmer.
Speaking to Football League World on Friday (16 February), the pundit said it’s going to be “difficult” to get those players to commit to new deals due to the “fine season” that the Baggies are currently having as they are going to be “coveted by other teams”.
But he added that it’s imperative Albion get those deals done quickly to avoid the players “having their heads turned” as he believes it could result in them missing out on reaching the playoffs this season.
“Corberan has confirmed that West Brom are now in talks with players that are going to see their contracts expire in the summer,” he said.
“The priorities should be Kyle Bartley and Cedric Kipre, who have formed an excellent defensive partnership this season. Next in line should be Alex Mowatt, who has been superb at times in the middle of the park, and the fourth player who should be tied down is Matt Phillips.
“It’s going to be difficult to get these players to commit at this stage due to the fine season that the club is having. These players are going to be coveted by other teams, and there are only 14 games left. But it’s imperative that they get these deals done quickly.
“What you don’t want is players having their heads turned when it’s so tight for a playoff spot and then end up missing out on the playoffs.”
West Brom don’t need contract uncertainty hanging over them
There were already talks ongoing with some players at West Brom, but the fact that Shilen Patel has now agreed a takeover should move things forward in that regard.
It is a slightly difficult situation to manage as there are question marks over whether some of their out-of-contract stars would be able to cut in the Premier League if they were to go up this season.
But that’s the balance Carlos Corberan and the rest of the staff must strike behind the scenes as contract uncertainty around several first-team players isn’t ideal when you’re pushing for promotion.
It can sometimes help encourage those players to perform better and go out and earn a new deal, though, so it’s a situation that requires plenty of thought.
The Baggies manager will be hoping the takeover news can provide his players with an extra boost in their bid for promotion as they currently find themselves well-placed in the Championship table.
In other West Brom news, Jed Wallace has sent a Zinedine Zidane message to an Albion star.
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