“He is really pleased” – Pundit reacts to latest Carlos Corberan, West Brom update

Pundit Carlton Palmer believes Carlos Corberan will stay at West Bromwich Albion if he is backed in the transfer market by owner Shilen Patel this summer.

Corberan has done an outstanding job since arriving at The Hawthorns in October 2022, and despite operating under financial restrictions, he led the Baggies to a fifth-placed finish in the Championship this season.

Albion missed out on promotion as they were beaten by Southampton in the play-off semi-finals, but Corberan’s excellent work at the club has not gone unnoticed, and he is believed to be on the radar of a number of clubs this summer.

Corberan is said to be on Leicester City’s list of targets after Enzo Maresca departed for Chelsea, but his compensation fee, reported to be between £3.5-4 million, could be a stumbling block for the Foxes, and they have also held initial talks with ex-Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper.

Burnley have reportedly made contact with Corberan’s representatives as they search for a replacement for Vincent Kompany following his move to Bayern Munich, but a host of other names have been linked with the vacancy at Turf Moor, including Cooper, Frank Lampard, Scott Parker, Raphael Wicky, Marti Cifuentes and Alan Pardew, while acting head coach Craig Bellamy is also under consideration for the permanent job.

Corberan was said to be in the frame for the Birmingham City job, and while it always seemed unlikely that he would drop down to League One, the Blues have now appointed Tottenham Hotspur coach Chris Davies as their new manager.

In the latest update on Corberan’s future at West Brom, journalist Steve Hermon claims that the Spaniard “has remained in daily contact with the club about plans for next season, including player contracts, signings & £1m works at the training ground”, and he says there has been no contact from Leicester.

Carlton Palmer on Carlos Corberan’s West Brom future

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said that Patel’s commitment to improving the training ground and investing in the squad could convince Corberan to stay at The Hawthorns.

“It appears that reports that were saying Carlos Corberan was unhappy at West Brom and was intending to move on to Birmingham, Burnley or Leicester are proving to be unsubstantiated,” Palmer said.

“Apparently Carlos is in daily contact with the owner, and he’s committed to spending a significant amount of money on the training ground, which he is really pleased about.

“It is supposed to be a seven-figure commitment from the owner, he has already pumped £1 million into the training ground to improve the facilities ahead of pre-season training, and he’s already said that he will be committing money to the squad and improving the squad of players that they have got.

“As the EFL’s profit and sustainability rules don’t take into account investments in infrastructure, any payments will not in fact impact on West Brom’s transfer budget.

“It is expected to still be a tricky window this summer, but the news that the owner is willing to invest moves some way to keeping Carlos Corberan happy.

“They had a fantastic season last season finishing in the play-offs, and he will hope that Shilen Patel will back him in the transfer market to enable him to push on to make a promotion charge next season.”