West Bromwich Albion manager Valerien Ismael may not enter the transfer market again this summer.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a claim made by Alan Nixon, with The Sun journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that the Frenchman is more than happy with the players he currently has at his disposal at The Hawthorns, suggesting the 45-year-old may not be pursuing too many more incoming signings over what remains of the summer transfer window.
Nixon went on to claim in a further post that there are similarities between Ismael and the Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, in that both coaches prefer to operate with smaller squads than the vast majority of managers.
In response to a fan asking whether Albion’s quiet summer looked set to pick up pace anytime soon, the journalist said: “Coach seems happy enough with what he has.”
Then, in response to another fan stating their belief that the club are in need of a central midfielder, Nixon said: “There’s a bit of the Bielsa about Ismael. Quite happy with small squads and stick with them.”
Fans will be fuming
While it is all very well and good operating with a small squad, with Bielsa proving at Leeds that a manager can be extremely successful with a limited number of players, there nevertheless is a very clear line when a manager not bringing in additions to his squad becomes irresponsible.
Indeed, as the second fan quoted above states, Albion are extremely short of options in the middle of the park, with only Jake Livermore, Alex Mowatt and Romaine Sawyers – who has recently been linked with a move to Stoke City – capable of operating in central midfield naturally.
The Baggies also appear rather thin on the ground on the left-hand side of defence, with only Conor Townsend in the first-team squad as an out and out left-back, while it would also appear as if Ismael could use the addition of a new centre-forward this summer.
As such, if the Frenchman does not go on to bring in reinforcements in the positions stated above, and any of the players who can operate in the respective positions pick up an injury or simply lose form, the potential for West Brom’s promotion hopes to slip away would appear very real indeed – an outcome that would leave fans of the club fuming.
In other news: Steve Madeley reveals major West Brom transfer development, Ismael will be buzzing
