slaven bilic westham
Slaven Bilic is hoping for a bit of ‘luck’ in the remainder of the transfer window as West Brom’s hunt for a new striker goes on. Albion will complete ‘phase one’ of the window when they secure the expected loan signing of playmaker Filip Krovinovic, who will return to The Hawthorns on a second loan spell from Benfica at some point in the coming days. That first part of the window was centred around bringing back those loanees who helped the club achieve promotion last term – Krovinovic, after Callum Robinson, Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana, is the final piece of that particular jigsaw.
Slaven Bilic said “We don’t have a huge budget that is why we are trying to be creative and lucky. That’s not easy but we are trying. Hopefully Filip Krovinovic will be here by the end of the weekend. Phase one done, and then hopefully we will get another one. We have to do it to maintain a good chance. We are trying to make the squad – with the new players that are coming – a bit more balanced. It is a process. Hopefully it will happen but it is not easy.”
After the captures of Conor Gallagher and Branislav Ivanovic in recent weeks, Albion’s sole focus between now and the closure of the window next month will be to source a striker to lead the line and spearhead Albion’s bid to remain in the Premier League. Having spent a significant portion of their budget – which was limited as it was at the start of the summer – on the signing of Diangana from West Ham, they’ve having to act savvy in the window if they are to make that breakthrough. Karlan Grant of Huddersfield Town remains a priority, and while things are far from straightforward, Bilic remains hopeful that Albion can be granted some fortune in their attempts.
It’s understood that Kenneth Zohore is free to leave if a suitable deal can be struck, and a number of Championship clubs have already made their interest known. Kamil Grosicki and Charlie Austin have both had very limited roles in the Premier League matches against Leicester City and Everton, and their respective futures are also uncertain.
