West Brom takeover: Shilen Patel issues Premier League claim at ‘perfect fit’ Hawthorns
Shilen Patel says that West Brom is the “perfect fit” for him after considering investment in a club for over two decades.
The American told the Tampa Bay Business and Wealth magazine on 27 February that his impending takeover of the club is the culmination of extensive evaluation, and he believes that “most” of what is required to get back to the top flight is already available at The Hawthorns.
Patel is due to buy out Guochuan Lai’s shares imminently but after he attended his first game as the Baggies were beaten by Southampton the deal has been delayed due to the logistics of making arrangements across three time zones.
Patel said: “The seed had been planted for quite a while. It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for more than 20 years now. I have been evaluating opportunities around the world with different levels of interest, and West Brom is a perfect fit.
“There’s an opportunity here. This club has most of what it needs to return to the Premier League where it has spent most of the last 2 decades.”
West Brom has ‘most’ of what it needs to return to the Premier League claims Shilen Patel
The fact that Carlos Corberan has managed to keep the Albion in the thick of the play-off race despite endless hurdles, after only just missing out on a place last season, suggests Patel is right.
With the proper investment and stability around the Spaniard many would hope that he can surpass even the extraordinary work he has already done.
There are still fears that players will have to leave due to an unsustainable wage bill even once Patel takes over, but long-term financial security overall will be a huge boost.
If the club are able to force their way back to the Premier League this season as is then it would truly mark the beginning of a new era back in the top flight under new ownership.
The recent uplift under Corberan, and the mobilisation of the club’s supporters through the dark times, have no doubt contributed to what made the incoming owner decide it was the right fit, and everyone involved will be hoping his time in charge is a major improvement on Lai as majority shareholder.
In other West Brom news, Adrian Goldberg has tipped some fans to struggle with possible price increases under the new regime.
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