Shilen Patel stance may help West Brom ward off any Southampton interest in Carlos Corberan: View | OneFootball

Shilen Patel's big ambitions for West Brom could convince Carlos Corberan to stay at the club amid reported interest from Southampton.

It has been an excellent start to the season for West Bromwich Albion in the Championship.

West Brom suffered heartbreak as they were beaten by Southampton in last season's play-off semi-finals, but they look set to be among the promotion contenders once again this time around.

Despite operating under an EFL-imposed business plan this summer in order to avoid a breach of the league's financial rules, it was a strong summer transfer window for the Baggies with the arrival of 11 new signings, including the likes of Torbjorn Heggem, Callum Styles, Uros Racic, Lewis Dobbin, Mikey Johnston.

Albion made an outstanding start to the campaign, winning five and drawing one of their first six league games, but their form has declined slightly in recent weeks, and after being held to a 0-0 draw by Millwall on Saturday, they are without a win in their last three matches.

However, the Baggies head into the international break sitting fourth in the table, just two points behind second-placed Sheffield United and leaders Sunderland, and they will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium next Saturday.

Albion supporters will be hopeful that this will be the year they can secure their return to the Premier League, but head coach Carlos Corberan is once again attracting interest from elsewhere, and his departure would be a huge blow to their promotion hopes.

The Sunday Mirror print edition (22 September, page 72) claimed that Corberan is being monitored by Southampton, and reports that the Saints could sack head coach Russell Martin if they lose to Leicester City after the international break will no doubt cause concern at The Hawthorns.

However, there is no guarantee that Corberan would be keen to take over at St Mary's, and recent comments by Baggies owner Shilen Patel could help to convince him to remain at the club long-term.

Shilen Patel on future West Brom ambitions

Patel completed his £60 million takeover of Albion in February, bringing the disastrous reign of former owner Guochuan Lai to an end, and he revealed last week that he is hoping to establish the club back in the Premier League.

"It’s certainly changed my life," Patel told The Telegraph.

"It’s been a dream and a desire for over two decades to be a part of English football. Not just in any way possible, it needed to be the right club at the right time.

"Now I’m here it would mean the world to take this club back to the Premier League. It’s the primary objective we have.

"I just feel like the Premier League is home for this club – but we have to earn it."

Corberan admitted that he did not have much contact with Lai, but he revealed he has a much more positive relationship with Patel, and he will no doubt be delighted to read his owner's latest comments.

After the excellent work he has done with Huddersfield Town and Albion over the years, Corberan has established a reputation as one of the best managers in the Championship, and it is only a matter of time before he gets the opportunity to work in the Premier League, whether that is with his current club or elsewhere.

Corberan was linked with Burnley and Leicester City in the summer, and while he remained at The Hawthorns, it was inevitable that reports of further interest would emerge, particularly after his side's impressive start to the season.

Given that Southampton have picked up just one point from their first seven games in the Premier League, it seems likely that they will make a managerial change at some point in the near future, and the Baggies may need to be braced for an approach for Corberan.

However, Corberan has shown plenty of loyalty to Albion in recent years, and with relegation a strong possibility for the Saints this season, there are big question marks over whether a move to St Mary's would be an attractive proposition for him.

Southampton look likely to be back in the Championship next season, and they may well be swapping places with the Baggies, but even if Corberan does not guide his side to promotion this season, Patel has made his ambition to become an established Premier League club clear.

The financial restrictions Albion are currently facing will soon begin to ease, and that means that Corberan will be provided with backing in the transfer market to help to achieve Patel's goals, which is something he has not had for much of his time at the club.

There is no doubt that under Patel's ownership, the Baggies are a club heading in the right direction on and off the pitch, and after coming through a difficult period, it would make little sense for Corberan to depart at this point.