Due to West Bromwich Albion being on track to break the Championship’s financial rules, the EFL have had to step in and impose a restriction upon West Brom’s transfer activity.
West Brom have already made two marquee sales this summer
Carlos Corberan’s West Brom impressively finished 5th in the Championship last season, falling to a 3-1 defeat over two legs in the play-off semi-finals to eventual winners, Southampton.
Baggies fans may have been hopeful that the club would look to strengthen on their best finish since their relegation to the second tier, three years ago. However, the club’s board have already sold two of Coberan’s key players, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Okay Yokuslu.
Yokuslu had shone in his two spells at West Brom, featuring in all but two of the club’s Championship games last season in what was his third and final season with the club as the Turkish midfielder joined Trabzonspor for a fee that West Brom have stated is ‘undisclosed’.
Only hours separated the sale of Yokouslu and top goal scorer, Brandon Thomas-Asante who joined fellow play-off hopefuls, Coventry City in a deal that, once again, West Brom stated as ‘undisclosed’ but later was reported to be worth £2.25 million up front with the potential to rise to £3 million with add-ons, according to Tom Collomosse.
The 25-year-old, who smashed in eleven goals for The Baggies last season, is a huge loss for Corberan’s side who will now have to try and make-up for the loss of their top goal scorer under transfer restrictions.
The EFL have imposed spending restrictions upon West Brom’s new owners
West Brom were taken over by Bilkul Football WBA in February, a company headed up by entrepreneur, Shilen Patel, and his dad, Kiran Patel. The company took over 87.8% of Albion, but the dealings with the EFL and their restrictions have reportedly been going on longer than Patel’s takeover.
Sky Sports reported that West Brom’s authorities had been working alongside their counterparts at the EFL for around eighteen months, consulting the organisation on signings and wages in order to remain aligned with the financial rules in place.
However, the EFL have now stepped in and imposed a restriction. Sky Sports state that the EFL have placed West Bromwich Albion under ‘an EFL-imposed business plan which will limit their transfer activity this window’. The move has been taken due to concerns that Albion were on course to breach the financial limits set out by the EFL.
Sky reports that they have been informed West Brom aren’t in danger of not paying their bills or being financially unstable, with the EFL’s actions being purely in regard to financial boundaries and how close The Baggies are to breaching them.
WBA have hardly spent this summer
It may be not much of a surprise to West Brom fans that they have been put under EFL restrictions due to the fact that the club has clearly raised funds, not only by the sales of Yokuslu and Thomas-Asante, but also the fact that they have let eight players go upon the expiry of their deals, freeing up a huge amount of the club’s wage bill.
Despite the large volume of exits from West Brom this summer, the club have hardly dipped into their pockets. The only fee that The Baggies have spent in fact is £525,000 to sign Norwegian defender, Torbjorn Heggen. (Expressen)
West Bromwich’s other signings have all been cost-effective with Devante Cole, Ousmane Diakite and Joe Wildsmith all joining for free, with Paddy McNair also joining on a loan deal. (TransferMarkt)
Carlos Corberan will undoubtedly be becoming restless with the club’s limited transfer activity, although, the Spaniard may have to find a little more patience now with any signing having to be meticulously checked and then approved by the EFL.