Terraneo has arrived at West Bromwich Albion as technical consultant.
A rumoured target for West Bromwich Albion in each of the past two transfer windows, Josef de Souza now has a concrete connection to the Hawthorns.
Gianluca Terraneo – the man who signed De Souza in his role as Fenerbahce’s sporting director – arrived at Albion in a similar capacity on Tuesday.
But with West Brom heading for the Championship, is it too late for Terraneo to deliver the elusive Brazilian midfielder? HITC takes a look.
Do West Brom still need him?
Short answer: Yes. The centre of midfield could be one of the Baggies’ hardest hit areas this summer, with three players (Grzegorz Krychowiak, Claudio Yacob and James Morrison) either out of contract of reaching the end of their loan spells. And even though Gareth Barry triggered a 12-month extension clause recently, the 37-year-old is still being tipped to depart.
Won’t he be out of their price range?
Maybe not. West Brom agreed a fee of slightly more than £10.6 million a year ago, only for personal terms to scupper the deal, according to Globo Esporte. And with less than 15 months left on his contract, De Souza could be cheaper this time around. With their first parachute payment incoming and millions expected to be raised through the sales of players such as Salomon Rondon, Craig Dawson and Kieran Gibbs, the Baggies could still be competitive. They would still need to match his demands, mind.
Stranger things have happened…
Fener remain in the hunt for a Champions League place this season, which, with De Souza a regular in the side that could get them there, may shatter any West Brom plan. That being said, it didn’t seem to bother Ruben Neves when he swapped FC Porto for Wolverhampton Wanderers a year ago.
Could Terraneo deliver De Souza for West Bromwich Albion?
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
