Slaven Bilic has confirmed that West Brom remain intent on adding a ‘few more players’ to their squad before next month’s transfer deadline. Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson were, Bilic explained, priorities for the club who were eager to retain the core of the squad that saw Albion over the promotion line in July. Both are back through the door on permanent deals, though Bilic remains keen to see another loanee, Filip Krovinovic, return to B71 once again.
Slaven Bilic said “We are trying. We are working very hard to be active – the guys at the training ground, in the club. The priority was trying to keep the guys from last season. Not because there’s gratefulness in football – it’s because they are there. We feel they can step up into the Premier League, that’s why we wanted to keep them. The priority was to keep them together, and then improve with three, let’s say four maximum, new players who will improve the quality and not the quantity. With Matheus it was paperwork, but we wanted to keep Grady, Filip Krovinovic and Callum – it’s not easy, nowadays you need money. We have done everything but Filip so far. And of course we will try and get a few more players.’ Work is being done, too, on adding a pacy striker to the squad’s ranks; Huddersfield forward Karlan Grant remains a top target. We talk about needing a striker that will give us something we don’t have from our other players, good players, in that position,” he added. “We’re not hiding it. It’s very difficult even when you have the money but in our situation we don’t have the kind of support that would make it easier to find these top players. We’ve got two – David Button and Cedric Kipre. They’ll strengthen our squad. Cedric looks really good in training. Was he a prime target? No, but he looks good so far. We’re trying to be as creative as we can be to bring up the quality in our team. We are going to do our best until the transfer window shuts. Also there is a possibility some players may leave either on loan or permanently.”
Bilic, who also acknowledged the arrivals of David Button and Cedric Kipre, predicted that existing players may yet leave too, as the club continues to trim the fringes of the group. Albion welcome Leicester City to The Hawthorns for their Premier League curtain raiser on Sunday afternoon having brought in five new faces – if Matheus Pereira’s permanent arrangement is included.
