The Baggies are in a comfortable position in the Premier League and have a realistic chance of finishing in the top half. Tony Pulis is looking at options to bolster his squad for the second round and the one position West Brom badly needs some improvement is the left back position.
And reportedly, West Bromwich Albion have reportedly revived their interest in their long-term target Jeffrey Schlupp. The Ghanaian international has lost his place in Ranieri’s first eleven and is all set to leave the Foxes this month. The fact that he was left out of Leicester City’s FA Cup match against Everton further assures his move.
West Brom won’t get him easy, though, as Aston Villa are also among other clubs lining up a bid for the left-sided 24-year-old. Crystal Palace even had a £9m bid rejected by Leicester and they will surely come back with a better bid.
Pulis is known to be a long-term admirer of Schlupp and given that West Brom have a better chance of finishing in the top half, Schlupp is more than likely to choose to come to the Hawthorns. West Brom had made several offers for the player last summer, gradually increasing their bidding to around £12m, but Leicester didn’t show any interest then and rejected that bid.
However, with the squad beefing up and more quality players getting in, Schlupp has fallen out of favour for Ranieri and a move is quite imminent. The Foxes are ready to listen to offers now and West Brom will pick up the negotiations from the point they ended last summer. His newly signed contract 18 months ago, keeps him at the Kings Power Stadium till 2019 and Leicester definitely wouldn’t let him leave for cheap.
Schlupp can play left-back or left midfield and is a great defender with phenomenal dribbling skills. He came to the fore with his impressive long passes that helped Leicester City win the league last season. His long shots have also been quite praiseworthy from fans and critics alike and he could be a brilliant addition to the Baggies who seem to have Brendan Galloway as their only natural left back.
For a manager like Pulis, who is happy to see his team defend deep and attack efficiently on the counter, Schlupp could be an ideal addition given his dribbling skills and ability to put in mouth-watering crosses. West Bromwich’s league position, which is far better than Leicester City, will be a huge factor in Schlupp’s decision.
