Baggies’ manager Tony Pulis is thought to be keen on a move for the Bosnia and Herzegovina international.
West Bromwich Albion’s long term interest in Schalke defender Sead Kolasinac may be at risk, with the Birmingham Mail reporting that Premier League giants Liverpool and Chelsea have joined the the race to sign the highly-rated 23-year-old. But Tony Pulis should be prepared to push hard for the player in what has been a problem position for the Welshman.
West Brom were linked (as per the Express and Star) with a £5million move for the versatile Bosnia and Herzegovina international, who can operate at left-back, centre-back or defensive midfield, during the summer transfer window. However, flush with the £37million they gained through Leroy Sane’s high-profile transfer to Manchester City, Schalke were intent upon retaining the services of one of their most promising young players and duly rebuffed any firm approach from Albion.
However, Kolasinac’s current contract at the Veltins-Arena is set to expire in the summer, meaning that rival sides are able to approach him from January 1st onwards about the possibility of joining on a Bosman transfer, giving Pulis fresh hope in his prolonged pursuit of the Bosnia international.
Although Schalke are said to be keen on extending Kolasinac’s existing deal, renewed interest from the Premier League could see the promising 6ft defender make a move during the January transfer window, with a number of high-profile club’s reportedly on standby to make their play for the 23-year-old’s signature once they are legally able to approach him.
The Birmingham Mail claim that both Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Antonio Conte’s Chelsea hold a firm interest in signing Kolasinac during the upcoming window, dealing a significant blow to Tony Pulis’s long-standing pursuit of the talented Schalke starlet.
Although West Brom were taken over by a Chinese investment group headed by affluent businessman Guochuan Lai in September, Pulis recently warned that the club’s new owners are going to do things in a controlled way rather than throwing hundreds of millions of pounds at transfer windows, hinting that Albion will still not be able to compete with the financial muscle of the Premier League’s heavyweight contenders.
West Brom currently sit 16th in the table after a mixed start to their 2016/17 campaign and, if they are to have a chance of erasing their current reputation as perennial relegation battlers by establishing themselves as a top 10 side, then they are going to have to delve into the market and compete with the big boys for players of Kolasinac’s calibre.
One thing going for the Baggies if they push for the fullback’s signature is that Kolasinac has a much better chance of first team football at the Hawthorns than he would at either Liverpool or Chelsea, a decent selling point for the Midlands outfit.
A persistent criticism of Pulis during his time with West Brom has been that his team selection’s and transfer dealings centre around perspiration rather than inspiration; with the former Stoke City manager preferring to put his faith in dutiful, hard-working individuals rather than more gifted players that may be slightly more difficult for him to manage.
However, if Albion are to stand a realistic chance of going to the next level and competing in the Premier League rather than merely making up the numbers then Pulis must readjust his stance and go toe-to-toe with their more illustrious rivals to secure some top class additions.
The terrific form of summer signing Nacer Chadli since his summer move to The Hawthorns from Spurs has already shown Albion that investing in quality additions rather than cutting corners during transfer windows pays dividends out on the pitch, and the Baggies’ should take heed of that in future windows by targeting top-class additions that can bolster the quality of their playing staff.
West Ham’s inspired acquisition of Dimitri Payet lays the blueprint for how a sense of ambition during transfer windows can drastically alter an entire club’s fortunes and, with new owners willing to back him and a fresh contract signed, Pulis should realign his current stance and look to make a statement of intent during the January transfer window.
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