West Brom formulate transfer plans with forward expected to be targeted

Valerien Ismael and West Brom have already identified potential transfer targets ahead of the opening of the January window - but the next obvious question that needs answering is exactly how much they’ll have to spend by way of a budget.

Self-sufficient Albion were operating on a shoe-string, along with most other clubs in the Championship, over the course of the summer; free agents and loan deals were the orders of the day, despite the incoming parachute payments following relegation and the sale of Matheus Pereira.

That doesn’t particularly point to a substantial pot of money being available to Ismael and recruitment guru Ian Pearce once January arrives, a month today, but they have, within the likely extensive financial boundaries, begun to put plans in place with a fresh, affordable, forward option expected to be towards the top of their list of priorities.