West Brom financial developments may not be what fans want to hear at The Hawthorns
West Brom sold some of their biggest assets in the previous transfer window at The Hawthorns.
Tom Fellows’ move to Southampton was the biggest sale in B71, but fans were left frustrated with the £10million fee as they believed he was worth more.
Torbjorn Heggem also signed for Bologna, but Andrew Nestor did use the money wisely at The Hawthorns, signing Nat Phillips, George Campbell, Krystian Bielik, Chris Mepham and Alfie Gilchrist to bolster the backline.
With Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) surely being a key focus for Bilkul Football, and the £20m loan secured from US investment group MSD Holdings in 2022, Shilen Patel may have a priority at the Black Country club.
This story includes exclusive comments from football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley.
West Brom focus on steadying ship financially at The Hawthorns
Plumley feels the Baggies are possibly at a stage where they have to prioritise their financial stability.
The football finance expert admits that while it may not be what most fans at The Hawthorns want to hear, the Albion could have to spend less than they’re earning in transfer windows to be sustainable.
Plumley believes the overall situation at the Black Country club is encouraging as they’re finding success both on and off the pitch.
- The Baggies signed three players on loan last summer.
- Aune Heggebo was the biggest signing at The Hawthorns for £4.75m.
- The Albion made £20m from sales in the previous transfer window.
Speaking exclusively to West Brom News, he said: “You do [have to spend less sometimes]. And you go through phases, don’t you, as a club. And you’ve got to look at, I would always prefer focusing on where they are in the kind of overall picture of the club, and that takes into account league position and what’s kind of been and gone.
“So they’re competing at a good level in the Championship, but they haven’t got the money of the parachute payment clubs. They’re relatively okay financially against some of the other clubs lower down the league table. But we’ve said this time and time again, you can’t just throw loads of money at the Championship anymore like you could 10 to 15 years ago.
“Sometimes you have to take that bit of a hit. And I say one thing with West Brom in the last few months, since the takeover and what’s gone before, they seem to be steadying the ship financially, and that’s not always what the fans want to hear in terms of bringing excitement on the pitch.
“But it’s almost what that club needed at this point, and sometimes you’ve got to do that to protect a bit of financial sustainability.”
Read More: Dele Alli transfer boost emerges after Alan Sheehan admission
Ryan Mason has tools to win Premier League promotion
Phillips and Mepham could form a Premier League promotion-winning partnership at the Baggies after their impressive display against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.
West Brom are predicted to finish third in the Championship after the additions to Ryan Mason’s squad.
With the Albion currently sitting second after four matches in the Championship, fans in B71 are excited about their prospects this season.
Patel and Co. deserve massive credit for how they’ve handled the situation at the West Midlands outfit after Guochuan Lai’s inconsistent reign until 2024.
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