West Bromwich Albion recently confirmed the arrival of Swedish defender Torbjorn Heggem but are still in the market for another centre-back, according to the latest reports.
After reaching the play-offs last season, head coach Carlos Corberan is looking to go one further in 2024/25 but improvement is needed in the squad to do so. Nevertheless, the West Midlands outfit have only completed three deals so far, including a goalkeeper.
Heggem was brought to The Hawthorns two weeks ago for a reported £525,000 from Allsvenskan club Brommapojkarna while defensive midfielder Ousmane Diakite joined on a free transfer after leaving Austrian side TSV Hartberg following the expiration of his contract.
Furthermore, the Baggies did acquire former Derby County keeper Joe Wildsmith who earned more clean sheets than any other shot-stopper last season in League One as the Rams were promoted back to the Championship. While Corberan has certainly strengthened his defensive department, he is still eyeing up a move for another centre-half.
It was reported by renowned French outlet L’Equipe on Friday evening that West Bromwich Albion have been keeping tabs on Mickael Nade’s situation after his deal with newly-promoted Ligue 1 team Saint-Etienne expired a fortnight ago. Additionally, L’Equipe revealed that West Brom face stiff competition for the central defender from fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, who are also looking to bolster their backline, while Saint-Etienne remain keen to offer him fresh terms to keep him at the club.
Le Progres issued an update on this transfer saga earlier this morning, via Sheffield Wednesday News, stating that the Baggies are currently leading the race for the 25-year-old’s signature and even spoke with the player’s representatives on Friday. In addition, the publication has reported that Saint-Etienne have offered Nade a new deal but the terms don’t fall in line with his demands.
Writer’s View
Signing Nade is an obvious decision should he choose to pack up his things and head for the English West Midlands. The Frenchman is available to sign as a free transfer, making it a relatively low-risk acquisition, but he also boasts a market value of £1.3 million, as per Transfermarkt, meaning he could be sold for a potential seven-figure sum in the future.
While West Bromwich Albion run the risk of losing Cedric Kipre permanently this summer as his contract has officially expired and Kyle Bartley is now in the twilight years of his career, signing Nade alongside Heggem would be wise heading into the near future.
