Post-Brexit regulations could scupper Mo Diame’s attempts to seal a return to the Championship with Steve Bruce’s West Bromwich Albion, as reported by The Sun (27 February, page 61).
Shortly after taking over at Newcastle United in the summer of 2019, Bruce made no secret of his disappointment after being denied the chance to reunite with his former Hull City maestro at St James’ Park.
“I enjoyed working with Mo Diame,” Bruce told the Shields Gazette. “He was excellent for me and I believe he was excellent here. A very, very good player.
“But (his exit) was done and dusted before i came here. Certainly, had I been here I would have tried to keep him. He’s a good player.”
So its probably safe to assume, with Diame lined up for another crack at English football with West Brom, that this is a transfer with Bruce’s fingertips all over it.
What’s more, it’s an opportunity the 34-year-old Senegal international is ready to grasp with both hands.
Will West Brom miss out on Mo Diame?
The former Wigan Athletic and West Ham enforcer is reportedly relishing the prospect of another stint in British soil. There is a rather substantial obstacle standing in his way, however, in the shape of post-Brexit regulations.
The Sun believe that Diame would struggle to obtain a work permit, having spent the last two years in Qatar with Al-Ahli.
“These days trying to get people in from abroad, with work permits, it’s practically impossible,” Bruce admitted to the Birmingham Mail a fortnight ago.
“We aren’t going to give up, but there’s not much out there which is going to improve us. Okay, you could bring a body in, but if there’s nobody out there who won’t improve us then we’ll just leave it alone and give somebody else an opportunity.”
Now in the bottom half of the Championship table, West Brom have lost three and drawn one since Bruce replaced Valerien Ismael at the Hawthorns.
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