Report: Allardyce keen to retain Yokuslu at West Brom as Celta Vigo prepare to sell

By Kyle Archer

West Bromwich Albion have been given a boost in Sam Allardyce’s plans to retain Okay Yokuslu, with El Desmarque reporting that Celta Vigo are preparing to sell the midfielder this summer.

Yokuslu’s parent La Liga outfit are desperate to cash in on those deemed surplus to requirements by head coach Eduardo Coudet, and will strive to balance the books in the summer market by offloading those on high wages.

West Brom are seen to have acquired Yokuslu at the low point of his Celta Vigo career in January, but have since witnessed the 27-year-old establish himself as a fixture of Allardyce’s midfield having only missed one Premier League fixture thus far.

(Photo by TIM KEETON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Allardyce is eager to see the Baggies retain Yokuslu having marked the £31,000-per-week (Salary Sport) brute as his top-target, depending on securing his side’s unlikely top-flight status.

“Let’s talk about Okay playing for West Brom in the Premier League, because the first thing we’ll do if we stay up is sign him up, absolutely. It’ll be the first thing on the agenda,” Allardyce said, via quotes by Birmingham Live, last month.

West Brom were unable to agree on a purchase clause as part of Yokuslu’s temporary switch, and are now expected to face strong competition for his signature with rival Premier League interest highly likely.

The Hawthorns natives also face a heightened asking price given Yokuslu’s form in the West Midlands, with Celta Vigo believed to have feared recouping part of the €6million (£5.1m) paid to Trabzonspor in 2018 before his loan exit.

Yokuslu is further expected to be named in Senol Gunes’ Tukey squad for this summer’s European Championships, which will offer the 32-cap international further opportunities to showcase his talents to potential suitors.

TBR’s view:

It appears very unlikely that West Brom will be able to pull off one of the Premier League’s greatest escapes, with the Baggies 10 points from safety with just 12 points still on the table.

But relegation to the Championship should not prevent the Hawthorns natives from exploring a move to retain Yokuslu beyond his loan spell, given Celta Vigo’s readiness to strike a deal and the impact he has brought to Allardyce’s plans.

Yokuslu has clearly left a great impression on the West Brom boss given his prior comments on the midfielder’s future, while Adrian Goldberg backed the ‘forceful’ brute to be the core of a side capable of securing promotion back to the top-flight, while speaking on The Liquidator.

It remains to be seen if West Brom will be able to pay whatever Celta Vigo demand to sell Yokuslu, but the West Midlands outfit must throw their hat into the ring when the chance arrives.