West Brom need six new transfers as Carlos Corberan speaks out

Carlos Corberan has said that West Brom still needs to sign up to "five or six players" before the August 30 transfer deadline.

The Albion boss was speaking after his side were thumped 4-1 by third-tier Birmingham City in their final pre-season match – a fourth loss in a row and fifth from just six matches so far this summer.

Three first-team players have departed the Baggies in the past week, and the club were also placed under an EFL-imposed business plan as they risk breaching profit and sustainability rules [Rob Dorsett, 3 August].

In quotes reported by the Express and Star (5 August), Corberan said of potential incomings: "When we know we need to go to the market – we have probably five or six players we need, gaps we need to cover.

“When you have gaps to cover, so many names are going to appear linked with this.”

West Brom stare at nightmare Championship start

As pre-seasons go, this summer at The Hawthorns hasn't exactly gone to plan thus far. Mass departures have been responded to with just five incomings, only one of which has commanded a transfer fee.

Of the side which finished fifth in the Championship last season and went toe-to-toe with Southampton for a play-off final spot, 10 players who made 19 appearances or more have already headed for the exit.

Trimming the fat off his squad ahead of the campaign could be seen as a wise move on Corberan's part, but the Spaniard can't deny his team is much weaker than it was in May, ahead of the opening weekend.

With the likes of Besard Sabovic and Callum Styles reportedly linked [Sky Sports, 3 August], Corberan could still add to his squad before the Baggies face QPR on 10 August, but there is still plenty of work to be done.

The fees for Brandon Thomas-Asante, Conor Townsend and Okay Yokuslu will give Albion some transfer leeway amid their financial restrictions [Cannock Chronicle, 13 July], but time is running out for Corberan to truly strengthen his side.

In other West Brom news, the fee that Coventry City have paid the Baggies to sign Brandon Thomas-Asante has been revealed.

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