West Brom can fund Carlos Corberan war chest by moving on senior duo | OneFootball

January action should be taken to cash in on struggling West Brom duo, funding investment in other areas of Carlos Corberan's squad

As a West Bromwich Albion senior duo continue their poor form, January may mark the last chance to cash in on the pair and fund investment in more vital areas of Carlos Corberan's squad.

The summer of 2022/23 was a perplexing window for many West Brom fans.

The controversial Steve Bruce was still the man in the dugout at The Hawthorns, and many felt his first transfer window lacked the necessary quantity to match the club's promotion ambitions.

Still, two quality additions couldn't help but get the Baggies bouncing with excitement.

The club's free acquisition of John Swift and Jed Wallace in the summer felt like a resounding victory, signalling a statement of intent to other promotion rivals who vowed to sign the duo.

Bruce himself believed the pair would be key in the revolution of the Midlands side.

He told BBC WM: "We identified those two in particular as arguably the two stand-out free transfers in the division". "It's something we wanted to improve in terms of creativity, pace and trying to score more goals. And both of them have got that in abundance."

But despite showing glimpses of this promise by the pair, their start to the 2024/25 campaign has seen both of their seniority in Carlos Corberan's side take a remarkable dip.

Swift has seen a recent reduction in minutes, managing to find his place in the starting 11 only twice in the last six games, but Wallace saw his place already taken by the season's advent, with the impressive Tom Fellows reducing the former Millwall man to just two starts in 14 matches (stats from FlashScores).

The former Chelsea youngster and Baggies captain's lack of goal contribution this term shows their disastrous start to the campaign as neither looks to replicate the form that earned them their moves, and pull West Brom from their recent slumber.

January departures could prove fruitful in fueling Carlos Corberan's promotion prayer

As the Baggies managed to take 13 points from the first 15 available, it seemed Carlos Corberan's summer recruitment had filled the squad adequately for the new campaign, leaving little work to be done in January.

But with a defensive injury crisis sending Paddy McNair and Semi Ajayi for an extended spell on the sidelines, and considering West Brom's continued difficulty in the creative department, the Spaniard has been left with no choice but to dip back into the market.

However, as the Baggies seek to continue their sustainable method of operations and avoid the financial woes that plagued the West Midland's side during the reign of Guochuan Lai, it is projected Corberan will not be flushed with cash in his pursuit to deliver West Brom back to the Premier League.

Football finance expert, Dan Plumley, told West Brom News that there is still much uncertainty surrounding transfer activity at The Hawthorns this winter.

He said: "Whether or not there is any embargo in place of how far the business plan stretches, we don’t quite know, but I think it is unlikely that we would see huge movement certainly in terms of incomings at West Brom in January, especially in terms of paying big fees".

Corberan will have to be shrewd in the winter market and first generate funds through outgoings and the continuation of the summer transfer policy, reducing the wage bill.

West Brom were able to take a sizable chunk out of this budget in the summer window, letting go of major earners Adam Reach, Okay Yokuslu and Cedric Kipre, which has reduced their annual payroll by £2,544,000 (stats per Capology).

Looking down the list of West Brom's earners and considering the names released from the squad last year, the philosophy of new American owner, Shilen Patel, is clear.

Lower league and European prospects seem to have replaced the big contract offers for familiar Championship names, a prerogative responsible for bringing Wallace and Swfit to the club initially.

As the stellar onfield performances of Torbjon Heggem have demonstrated, there is discernible success to be found from unknown gems for a fraction of the wages.

Now that Wallace and Swift rank near the top of the club's biggest earners, it is absolutely possible Corberan may look to the 30 and 29-year-old as possible departures that could fuel his war chest, perhaps being the easiest high-earners to offload.

West Brom could still demand fee for the duo as they seek to fill gaps in squad

This is largely due to the fee that could still be demanded for the duo, and the already notable interest that circled them in the summer.

West Brom were braced for bids from both Luton Town and Wallace's former club Portsmouth for the winger, expecting a rumoured £750,000 bid to go in before the deadline.

Although this ultimately never came, as the former Pompey man's minutes continue to drop, Wallace may be more proactive in pursuing an exit from The Hawthorns this winter, attracting a greater stream of interest.

The case of Swift, however, is one of slightly more complexity as the former Reading man only has six months remaining on his contract come January.

But this isn't to say a fee cannot be generated for the number ten, considering Middlesbrough were reportedly one of the sides showing interest in the former Chelsea youngster, who have cause to forego the wait and strike now.

Michael Carrick's side sit on the cusp of entering the play-off spots, and a playmaking midfielder at the fulcrum of an engine room containing Hayden Hackney and Finn Azaz could bolster their attacking unit immediately, as they too seek a Premier League return.

Even if the fees reported for the senior pair do not wow on the page, the removal of Swift and Wallace from the wage bill alone is one that would open the door at least for a temporary solution to finish the season at the Hawthorns, and try their luck at turning the Baggies' fortunes around.