Carlos Corberan exit closer than ever at West Brom as Southampton make Russell Martin call
West Brom had an excellent start to the season under Carlos Corberan, but they appear to have encountered their first bump in the road.
The Baggies slipped off of the top of the Championship table as they fell to a second consecutive defeat against Middlesborough on Tuesday (1 October) with Hayden Hackney’s second-half goal the difference between the sides.
While Albion are still in an excellent position to compete for promotion back to the Premier League this term, they could be set to face a brand new challenge after new updates emerged at Southampton.
Reports suggest that the Saints are considering the position of Russell Martin following a disappointing start to the campaign where they have failed to win any of their opening six Premier League games [Graeme Bailey, 2 October].
Although no final decision has yet been made about Martin’s future at St Mary’s, Southampton are understood to be ready to make a change in the dugout during the international break.
Will Carlos Corberan exit West Brom amid Southampton speculation?
On the face of it, this news doesn’t appear to have any real direct impact on either West Brom, but there is a real chance that Corberan could be who Southampton turn to if they decide to replace Martin.
Reports suggest that the Premier League side are tracking the 41-year-old after Albion’s impressive start to the season alongside a host of other clubs [Sunday Mirror, 22 September, page 72].
Any club that wishes to prize Corberan away from The Hawthorns will have to pay the manager’s exit clause which is believed to be in the region of £4million [DOOD, 22 September].
With the riches of the Premier League on their side, Southampton should have no issue matching that sort of fee, which will mean that the final decision could potentially lie with the Baggies boss.
It is unclear whether or not a move to the south coast would appeal to Corberan, but the opportunity to make the step up to the Premier League will of course be tempting for the Spanish manager.
If Southampton do decide to make a change in the international break and push for the West Brom boss’ services, there is a real chance that Saturday’s (5 October) clash with Millwall could be his last in charge of Albion.
Hopefully, the Saints will look elsewhere for their new manager or decide to stand by Martin instead as it would be a massive blow to the Baggies’ promotion hopes if Corberan were to exit at this stage of the season.
In other West Brom news, Alan Pardew has revealed that he tried to bring Graham Potter with him to The Hawthorns during his time at Albion
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