Cedric Kipre sends heartfelt message to West Brom fans as he rejects offer at The Hawthorns
Cedric Kipre has sent an emotional goodbye to West Brom fans after his exit was officially announced on Wednesday.
The defender is set to undergo a medical with Stade Reims this week [Fabrizio Romano, 24 July] following the expiry of his contract at The Hawthorns, despite the Baggies’ attempts to extend his deal.
Kipre was a mountain at the back last season for Carlos Corberan’s side, and has left a huge void in the Albion defence as he departs for Europe on a free transfer amid significant interest from elsewhere this summer.
Taking to his personal Instagram page (24 July), the 27-year-old said: “Thank you.
“As I say goodbye to you all, I wanted to show my gratitude for the support you’ve shown me throughout my time here. It has been a journey filled with many ups and downs but I’m leaving with great memories.
“To my teammates, the staff, to the club and to the fans, thanks for being a part of my journey and allowing me to make the best out of this opportunity. Ced.”
West Brom suffer major Kipre blow
Following confirmation of Kipre’s exit from West Brom, the club have managed to get two out of three players over the line to whom they had offered new deals over the summer.
Whilst defensive partner Kyle Bartley has penned fresh terms and Alex Mowatt has committed to the club, Albion are still left wondering what might have been had they been able to build on their solid defence from 2023-24, with Kipre at the heart of it.
It’s little surprise Corberan struggled to hold onto an international player at prime age who was available on a free transfer following an excellent individual campaign, with a move to Trabzonspor in Turkiye having been close.
The move to Reims will allow Kipre regular football in the French top flight as the club look to build towards competing for Europe, having finished ninth in Ligue 1 last season under Will Still, now at RC Lens.
As for Albion, Torbjorn Heggem has been brought in from the Swedish league to help plug the gap, but further reinforcements remain required.
In other West Brom news, the club are working on a £1.7m deal for Isaac Price.
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