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Put up for sale by Lai Guochuan, West Bromwich Albion are searching for a new owner, and perhaps one with the financial power to fund a potential Premier League return, having fallen into the depths of the Championship in recent years.
As things stand, the Baggies sit as low as 13th in the second tier, already 11 points adrift of the automatic promotion spot, and three points adrift of the play-off places. It doesn’t look as though Carlos Corberan’s side are on the verge of changing their fortunes, either, having failed to win in their last four games.
A fresh start in the form of a takeover could certainly help, and former Baggie turned BBC pundit Carlton Palmer has delivered his verdict.
What has Carlton Palmer said?
With the season still in its early stages, there’s still plenty of time for West Brom to make a promotion charge, especially if financially backed by new owners when the January transfer window swings open. Speaking about the latest rumblings around a takeover, Palmer told Football League World: “There are more talks ongoing about a new owner at WBA. This is vital this happens, and happens quickly.
“Guochuan Lai is looking to sell the club and would accept £50 million, which is significantly less than what he paid for the club at the time, £200 million. Apparently there are interested parties from the Middle East and the USA. WBA are hoping a deal can be concluded this year.
“They currently sit 13th in the Championship, drawing their last three games. The club is selling all of their best players in the summer to balance the books and not replacing them with anywhere near the same quality. It’s imperative the sale goes through quickly to give the club a chance of trying to get back to the Premier League sooner rather than later.”
The Baggies may not sell as quickly as Palmer hopes, however, given the club’s £50m price-tag – which has been deemed too much by financial expert Kieran Maguire, who told Football Insider: “I think £50 million is aspirational rather than realistic. It shows that Guochuan Lai appears to be living in a fantasy world. The property assets are solid, but it’s not a high-value property area. If the club itself is not in a competitive position in the Championship by January, that’s going to make it more difficult to generate a figure of that value.”
With that said, although The Daily Mail reported interest from the United States and the Middle East, it remains to be seen just who will be the new West Brom owner, and when the takeover will happen.
How have West Brom performed this season?
So far this season, West Brom have performed exactly how you’d expect a side in their position to perform, picking up ten points. Amid the constant talk about a potential takeover, Corberan will just hope to get his side focused and back to winning ways as soon as possible, having drawn three straight matches ahead of Saturday’s difficult trip to Preston.