West Brom rejected after they lodge formal loan-to-buy offer - report
West Brom have seen a "formal" loan-to-buy offer for midfielder Filip Krovinovic rejected by Benfica, according to Record.
The Portuguese newspaper reports that the Baggies have offered to re-sign the 24-year-old on a season-long loan with the obligation to sign him next summer if they avoid instant relegation from the Premier League.
However, that is the aspect of the proposal that Benfica are not happy with because they want to ensure that they are guaranteed to sell Krovinovic to West Brom either this summer or next.
A Bola has recently reported that Albion have agreed to pay around £9million for Krovinovic either this summer or next if they do seal a loan-to-buy agreement.
But the Black Country club seems to be trying to work out a way that they can avoid being obliged to sign Krovinovic permanently if they suffer relegation and therefore cannot afford the Croatian playmaker.
Slaven Bilic has told Croatian news outlet Index HR that he “will do everything” he can to ensure that Krovinovic is wearing blue and white stripes in the Premier League next season but it seems that the coronavirus pandemic's impact on the Baggies' finances is halting Bilic's desire at the moment.
We're still confident that Albion can reach an agreement for Krovinovic before the summer transfer window slams shut.
Benfica clearly want to sell the midfielder after their new manager Jorge Jesus reportedly decided that he's not in his plans for next season [A Bola].
There's every chance that the Lisbon club will soften their hardline stance on Krovinovic as the transfer window reaches a conclusion to avoid being stuck with a player they do not need.
In other West Brom news, Kaveh Solhekol has said how many new signings Bilic wants to make before the season kicks off next month.