West Bromwich Albion will not be returning for 2020/21 loanee Okay Yokuslu of Celta Vigo, as reported by Birmingham Mail.
The Lowdown: West Brom set for life under Valerien Ismael
Gliding ever closer to the 2021/22 campaign, Valerien Ismael will be keen to put his stamp on a squad who will be desperate to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Getting busy in the transfer market, the 45-year-old has sanctioned deals for Matt Clarke and Alex Mowatt [Transfermarkt].
However, one man he will not bring back to the Hawthorns this window is 27-year-old Yokuslu.
The Latest: Yokuslu will not return to West Brom this summer
In spite of numerous suggestions otherwise, the Turkey international is not someone who will pitch up in the Midlands once again for the forthcoming campaign [Birmingham Mail].
Despite giving a good account of himself with the Baggies last year, West Brom currently do not have the money necessary to bring the 6 foot 3 midfield maestro aboard.
Furthermore, newly appointed Ismael is said to want to shape the side in his own way, a vision that does not include Yokuslu.
The Verdict: Clean break
For both parties, a clean break may be the best scenario here. Though a very talented midfielder who performed admirably last term, Yokuslu joining up with West Brom would take a significant chunk out of their respective transfer and wage budgets.
In 2020/21, he impressed with his desire to win possession, successfully winning an average of 2.4 tackles per game in the Premier League across the year [WhoScored].
Once labelled as ‘excellent’ by West Brom journalist Adrian Goldberg [This is Futbol], he is a talented player no doubt, but one talented player does not earn promotion.
If Ismael is allowed to redirect whatever funds were plotted for Yokuslu’s return elsewhere instead, this could turn out to be a very wise decision indeed.
In other news, West Brom have been linked with a free agent.
