West Brom next manager: John Percy shares major Cifuentes update
Marti Cifuentes has been placed on gardening leave at QPR amid interest from West Brom, but there is a twist.
Albion are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Tony Mowbray in the wake of their 3-1 defeat against Derby County at The Hawthorns on Easter Monday (21 April).
The Baggies have tasked James Morrison with seeing out the season, while several candidates have already been linked with the vacant manager’s seat.
Cifuentes soon emerged as a favourite to replace Mowbray, with DOOD claiming that West Brom and QPR are keen to quickly resolve the situation.
West Brom rule out Cifuentes
West Brom were said to have held talks over appointing Cifuentes as their next manager, leading to the Spaniard’s tenure at QPR turning sour.
The 42-year-old was said to have missed a training session with the Rangers, who then announced that the manager had been placed on gardening leave.
This came as a move from QPR to seek a compensation fee from whoever wanted to acquire Cifuentes’ services ahead of next season.
| Competition (2024/25) | Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses |
| Championship | 45 | 13 | 14 | 18 |
However, in a shock twist, it has now emerged that Cifuentes will not be the next West Brom manager.
The former Hammarby boss is, in fact, not even on the list of candidates at The Hawthorns, according to John Percy.
The Midlands journalist reported via his personal X handle on Wednesday (30 April) that the Baggies are still going through the recruitment process for a new manager.
No candidate has been offered the job as things stand, contrary to reports.
The report has been corroborated by Lewis Cox of the Express and Star, who claim that Shilen Patel and Co. are assessing the candidates on their shortlist, which does not include Cifuentes.
Albion cause Carlos Corberan deja vu
It has been just over a week since Mowbray was sacked and it is already reminiscent of Albion’s managerial hunt in the wake of Carlos Corberan’s abrupt exit during Christmas.
The fact that the hunt for a new head coach dragged on for almost a month was a great source of frustration at the time.
With Morrison in place for the Baggies’ last game of the season against Luton Town on Saturday (3 May), there is no need for Bilkul to rush the appointment.
However, the twists and turns of the recruitment process playing out in public is certainly not a good look for the owners.