Potential new West Brom owner Shilen Patel is reportedly already planning a massive off-field move at The Hawthorns, should he complete a takeover of the club in the near future.
West Brom takeover latest
The Baggies may be thriving on the pitch this season, including picking up a hard-earned 2-2 draw away to fellow Championship promotion rivals Ipswich Town on Saturday, but things have been more frustrating away from the action.
Many West Brom supporters are desperate to see new owners come in, bringing an end to the Guochuan Lai era at the Hawthorns in the process.
A recent update suggested that Patel's takeover of the Baggies could be completed in a matter of weeks, with talks continuing over reaching an agreement as soon as possible. There has also been a rumour suggesting Aston Villa fan Alex Hearn could own a percentage stake in the club, due to an unpaid loan to his company.
Now, another update has now emerged regarding the ongoing takeover situation at West Brom – one that could cause genuine shock among the fanbase.
Shilen Patel planning huge West Brom move
According to a new update from Tuttosport [via Sport Witness], Shilen Patel is planning on making Torino manager Ivan Juric West Brom's next boss should he become the club's new owner, with an offer already submitted to the Croatian.
The report adds that there has been "sensational indiscretion" surrounding the interest in taking him to the Baggies, and they have offered him a "super contract". It is believed to be €2m (£1.7m) per year contract plus any bonuses that are included, and funds are not seen as a problem, even if West Brom are still in the Championship next season. They are described as "rich" and "can afford salaries that very few teams in Italy can provide".
While Juric coming in as the next manager at The Hawthorns, there is no doubt that this has to be considered a huge surprise, considering the job Carlos Coberan continues to do in the hot seat.
Carlos Corberan
2022-present
Richard Beale
2022-2022
Steve Bruce
2022-2022
Valerian Ismael
2021-2022
Sam Allardyce
2020-2021
Slaven Bilic
2019-2020
James Shan
2019-2019
Darren Moore
2018-2019
Alan Pardew
2017-2018
Gary Megson
2017-2017
The 40-year-old has made such inroads with West Brom since taking charge back in 2022, following what ended up being a doomed spell under Steve Bruce, and former Baggies favourite Paul Robinson lauded him back in November, saying:
"I think at this moment in time he’s done a great job, especially with the limited funds he’s had to work with. The squad is down to the bare bones, he’s had to let players go – good players in my eyes, like Taylor Gardner-Hickman, good footballers who you’d keep as squad players, I found that strange. But seventh in the league…in a tough, tough league this year, the teams that came down, those that come up, it’s one of the toughest in a long time. I think Carlos is doing a good job."
In many ways, Patel has to be trusted in his decision-making, but if he decides to replace Corberan with Juric, it is a decision that could divide the fanbase, making this one to watch.