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Slaven Bilic explains why West Brom didn’t sign a player he called ‘exceptional’

Slaven Bilić, manager of West Bromwich Albion looks on prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United at The...
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West Bromwich Albion were tipped to sign Domingos Quina from Premier League side Watford – but a deadline day move to the Championship didn’t materialise.

Domingos Quina of Watford FC and Tim Ream of Fulham FC in action  during the Premier League match between Watford FC and Fulham FC at Vicarage Road on April 2, 2019 in London, England.

Slaven Bilic has admitted that West Bromwich Albion didn’t sign Watford starlet Domingos Quina on transfer deadline day because there was no room in his squad for the highly-rated midfielder, as reported by the Birmingham Mail.

A player who was handed his Premier League debut by Bilic at West Ham United was tipped to link up again with a Croatian tactician on the final day of the January window.

According to the Express and Star, West Brom were willing to offer the skilful playmaker, who had featured in just 18 minutes of Premier League football for Watford this season, a fresh start at The Hawthorns.

But, by the time the 11pm deadline struck, Lee Peltier and Kamil Grosicki were the only new players at Bilic’s disposal. And three days later the charismatic coach has explained why the deal did not come to pass.

“Quina was an option but only if one of our players was leaving,” Bilic explained. “There was a possibility that one of our players would go and one more.

“And for one I said [okay] and the other I said no, no way. Then maybe we would have got Domingos.

Domingos Quina of West Ham United in action during the Premier League 2 match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC at Chigwell Construction Stadium on March 11, 2018 in Dagenham, England.

“But because that transfer did not happen it would not be fair to player to bring him in but for him not to be involved as much as he deserves to be.”

Bilic described Quina as an ‘exceptional’ talent during their time together at West Ham, though it seems that Chris Brunt was the main reason why the mooted reunion failed to materialise.

The Birmingham Mail reports that Brunt saw a move to Stoke City fall through with the eleventh hour collapse having a domino effect at Vicarage Road.

Domingos Quina of Watford scores his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Watford FC and Cardiff City at Vicarage Road on December 15, 2018 in Watford, United Kingdom.