West Bromwich Albion are looking for some last-minute transfer business to complete before the window slams shut and have been keeping tabs on a player in Sweden’s top-flight, according to the latest reports.
Over the weekend, the Baggies were dealt a huge blow in their hopes of spending more money this summer as Sky Sports News revealed that the club had been placed under an EFL-imposed business plan which will limit the side’s activity in the transfer market. This has occurred as the EFL have been concerned that the Championship outfit will breach the division’s financial regulations.
So far, Carlos Corberan has lost far more players than he has gained. Experienced heads such as Matt Phillips, Okay Yokuslu and Conor Townsend, among several others, have all left The Hawthorns for pastures new while last season’s top goalscorer Brandon Thomas-Asante was sold to promotion rivals Coventry City for a reported £3 million fee and has yet to be fully replaced in the first-team squad.
Former Barnsley centre-forward Devante Cole was signed by West Brom following the release of his contract at Oakwell but the son of Premier League legend Andy Cole has only ever scored one goal in England’s second tier in 24 matches.
Furthermore, Corberan’s midfield has been stretched thin. Nathaniel Chalobah recently moved to fellow Championship side Sheffield Wednesday as a free agent and Yann M’Vila was also released, while Yokuslu returned to the Turkish Super Lig, joining Trabzonspor for around £1.35 million.
As a result, West Bromwich Albion are keen to dip into the transfer market to find some hidden gems that can be acquired for a relatively low fee. According to reports in Sweden, via Sport Witness, the Baggies are looking at the Allsvenskan once more following the arrival of Torbjorn Heggem for £500,000 earlier in the window.
Swedish outlet Expressen have revealed that West Brom have tabled an offer to Djurgardens for midfielder Besard Sabovic. The top-flight club are not willing to lose one of their prized assets midway through the campaign but the 26-year-old’s contract runs out in just six months which has become a worry for Djurgardens as the club may be forced to sell.
Writer’s View
Coincidentally, Sabovic previously played for Heggem’s old club Brommapojkarna, although the duo’s paths never crossed in the same dressing room. Nevertheless, the pair would have faced off on a couple of occasions in the Allsvenskan so perhaps Heggem has given Sabovic a glowing recommendation to his new manager.
The Swedish-North Macedonian would be a direct replacement for Yokuslu given that they both play in a deeper-lying position in the midfield but it would be a risky signing by West Bromwich Albion given that Sabovic has never played in England before. Additionally, it is unclear just how much he would cost, although he currently boasts a market value of £680,000, as per Transfermarkt, which may be affordable even with the EFL-imposed sanctions.
