Andrew Nestor makes West Brom investment admission in new PSR update
Andrew Nestor has provided West Brom supporters with an update on the club’s current PSR position after the completion of the winter transfer window.
The Baggies are now back on more stable financial footing and were able to bring in some new faces in the winter transfer window, including Adam Armstrong on loan from Southampton.
Isaac Price and Tammer Bany were both signed for fees, meanwhile, as Tony Mowbray added to his outfield options.
Andrew Nestor makes West Brom investment claim
Mowbray has got his sights set on the play-offs with West Brom this season, and sitting sixth in the table certainly suggests that his side have the quality to achieve this aim.
However, there is still plenty of football to be played and the last thing the Baggies want is to find themselves falling down the table at the time when it matters.
Furthermore, with top scorer Josh Maja sidelined through injury, this provided a reminder to the Black Country club that reinforcements were needed in order to see the squad through to the end of the campaign.
Albion added four new players to their ranks during the window with Price and Bany signing on permanent deals for undisclosed fees, while Armstrong and Will Lankshear joined on loan until the end of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Alex Palmer joined Ipswich Town while Lewis Dobbin and Uros Racic were recalled by their parent clubs.
Assessing the window and the club’s current financial position, Sporting Director Nestor told West Brom’s website (6 February): “There has been the additional benefit of significantly strengthening our PSR (Profit & Sustainability Rules) position, which has been crucial considering the perilous place the club found itself just 12 months ago.
“We are continuing to strategically navigate this situation whilst remaining competitive in the league and investing in the club’s future through the decisions made in these last two transfer windows.
“Looking back to last season, the average age of the squad weighted for minutes played was the oldest in the Championship and the fifth-most expensive yet would have finished outside the play-off places in terms of points-per-match based on results in the second half of that season.
“We have since been assembling a cohesive squad built around a more offensive-minded style of play. This year, we have reinvested in key players that were already here, as well as invested in new impact acquisitions and several top players under 21. The average age of the squad has been reduced and we have created capacity to continue investment in the future.”
West Brom looking ahead to better times
This news from Nestor will be welcomed by many Baggies supporters who will feel as though they are watching their club get back on track after a difficult time off the pitch.
There certainly has been a change of strategy at The Hawthorns and, as the Sporting Director points out, a younger and more agile squad is being formed while also saving the club money which is exactly how the club need to be progressing.
Mowbray is looking to secure a top-six finish with his squad in the hope of promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs, and with the new additions to the squad, Baggies supporters will surely fancy their chances at doing so.
Being in a strong financial position suggests more long-term success is to come for West Brom, too, which only makes looking forward a more optimistic vision.
Now, it is up for the new faces to show what they can add too the side and give The Hawthorns faithful something to cheer about on the pitch too.