According to reports from Turkey, Fenerbahçe S.K. are interested in signing West Brom striker, Salomón Rondón next summer. The 28-year-old is one of their best players with 8 goals this season and would not be too keen on playing in the second division of English football next season.
West Brom are undergoing a tumultuous season in the Premier League and are staged at the bottom-most spot of the table. Pulis’ sacking saw Alan Pardew take up the head coach position after facing the axe at Crystal Palace.
With 8 games left in the regular season, Albion have registered just 20 points to their name and are 10 points adrift from safety.
A drop to the lower division will bring a bout of financial insecurity which will be hard to handle with every player on the payroll. While some will be offloaded, the Baggies will have to find cheaper options in the next summer window.
Tony Pulis’ sacking and Pardew’s appointment has not changed a thing in their struggle for survival and other teams will look to benefit from the situation. When the inevitable happens, Rondon will be graced with plenty of suitors due to his obvious goal-scoring talents.
The Baggies as a team have failed to tap into the striker’s abilities and it is highly uncertain whether the successive season would be any different. The Venezuelan international packs a lot of grit and physicality into his game and is one of the more eye-catching number nines in the league.
He has managed to rack up 26 goals for Albion in 113 total appearances and was a big name to come out of Zenit St. Petersburg. He has been capped 66 times for his country and is the first Venezuelan player to score in three different tournaments on the international stage.
We have seen a lot of big names make the switch to the Turkey – Robin Van Persie and Wesley Sneijder for example. The monetary benefits and prospects of European football might not be too shabby for Rondon but is it the best he can do?
The 28-year-old is at the stage of his career where his athletic abilities have not escaped him and his experience in top-flight football is significant. It would not be an oversight to play for a more ambitious future if elite teams show an interest towards him.
West Brom might take a major blow from Rondon’s departure but it would not be the end of the world. Their prime objective would be to wind up the clock again and start fresh.
We have seen Newcastle United make the boosted return to the Premier League after winning the Championship last season. Losing Rondon will open up a whole lot of opportunities in terms of financial leverage and youth development.
