West Bromwich Albion have enquired about Huddersfield Town’s Sorba Thomas, who looks set to leave the West Yorkshire outfit this summer following their relegation to League One.
According to Alan Nixon, West Brom have made advances in their pursuit to pinch Thomas from the Terriers.
The eight-cap Welsh international impressed in the Championship last season despite Huddersfield’s relegation and directly contributed to 13 league goals, casting doubt over his future with the now-third-tier club.
Nixon’s report claims that Nantes remain in dialogue with Huddersfield over the £1m price tag administered by the Terriers and are unable to enter negotiations with the player until a deal has been ironed out first, suggesting that Thomas could still be at the John Smith’s Stadium for some time.
West Brom’s transfer interest in Huddersfield Town’s Sorba Thomas
West Brom Head Coach Carlos Corberan is reportedly keen on reuniting with Thomas, who he signed for Huddersfield from National League outfit Boreham Wood in January 2021.
The winger emerged as a second-tier star under the Spaniard’s tuition the following campaign, having enjoyed his finest individual campaign to date by scoring three times and providing an impressive 15 assists across all competitions as Huddersfield made it all the way to the Championship play-off final against Nottingham Forest.
However, there’s a current roadblock in the potential deal with West Brom said to be unwilling to meet Huddersfield’s asking price for Thomas. It’s not yet clear whether they’ll increase their offering or walk away, with Huddersfield standing firm to their valuation at present.
West Brom would regret failing to meet Huddersfield Town’s Sorba Thomas asking price
All things considered, £1m is an absolute snip for a player of Thomas’ undoubted quality and efficiency and a deal feels like a no-brainer for plenty of Championship clubs looking to bolster their wide areas in the coming weeks.
He’s been among the leading players in the division for assists and general chance creation for a good few years now, with his direct running, pinpoint crossing and outstanding vision incorporating a fresh and effective dimension into Huddersfield’s wing-play.
Corberan knows those qualities all too well and helped to cultivate Thomas from a National League player into one of the Championship’s most dangerous wingers, and you can imagine he won’t be best pleased if the powers that be at the Hawthorns refuse to come up with the necessary funds to land his man.
Thomas is very direct in his attacking aggression and crossing style although it’s not a counterproductive contradiction to Corberan’s tactical preference to keeping hold of possession, with the Marcelo Bielsa disciple equally keen to launch quick offensive transitions when required.
That’s exactly how Thomas flourished under him in 2021/22 and it’d be hard to rule out a similar influence on proceedings next term if he is to move to the West Midlands.
When operating at his best and in a befitting system, Thomas is a near-guarantee of 10 goal involvements at a minimum, not to mention the sheer threat of his crossing ability and the space that he affords teammates in the final third as defenders often double up to prevent his pinpoint crosses.
At the age of 24, he’s only going to improve further too and history suggests that Corberan is the right manager to oversee his natural future development.
With that in mind, the Baggies must look to meet Huddersfield’s fair demands and strike a deal for the creative wideman heading into 2024/25.
