West Brom have hijacked another Championship club's move for a 25-year-old defender and a medical is now imminent, according to an exciting update from reliable journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
West Brom transfer news
The Baggies are preparing for their opening game of the 2024/25 season this weekend, with a trip to Queens Park Rangers kicking off their campaign on Saturday lunchtime. Carlos Corberan's men will again be hoping to finish in the playoff positions, at worst, with automatic promotion the primary aim.
For that to happen, some more new signings will be needed before the summer transfer window reaches its conclusion, and a number of players have been linked with switches to the Hawthorns in recent times. One such figure is midfielder Besard Sabovic, with a formal offer already made for the 26-year-old.
Meanwhile, Standard Liege and Northern Ireland youngster Isaac Price has been touted as an exciting long-term option for West Brom, as he potentially looks to seal a return to England this summer. He moved to Belgium from Everton last year, having spent 12 years in the youth system at Goodison Park before deciding a move abroad was best for his development.
Leicester City attacker Thomas Cannon is also being looked at by the Baggies, according to recent claims, with the 21-year-old unlikely to earn regular playing time for the Foxes, following their return to the Premier League. A loan move looks most likely, allowing him a year to hone his skills elsewhere.
West Brom hijack move for 25-year-old
According to Sky Italy's Di Marzio, West Brom are now set to pip QPR for the free signing of left-back Gianluca Frabotta, having hijacked the Championship rival's move for him, adding an extra edge to their weekend clash.
The 25-year-old is expected to undergo a medical in London on Tuesday, sealing a 3-year move from Juventus and strengthening the Baggies' left-back options in the process. His contract is ready to sign on the dotted line and his agent has also travelled to complete the deal, while Juve will keep a 20 per cent sell-on clause in his contract.
It looks as though the Baggies have won the race to sign the Italian, in what could be an exciting piece of business for Corberan. Frabotta is at an ideal age to come in and hit the ground running, possessing enough experience but also still having plenty of years ahead of him in his career.
He has made 18 appearances for Juventus despite spending most of his career on various loans, which says a lot about his pedigree, and he has also been capped for Italy at four different youth age groups at international level.
|
Gianluca Frabotta's international stats |
Caps |
Goals |
|---|---|---|
|
Italy Under-21s |
4 |
0 |
|
Italy Under-20s |
4 |
2 |
|
Italy Under-19s |
3 |
0 |
|
Italy Under-18s |
4 |
0 |
The fact that West Brom are beating another Championship team to the left-back's services makes it all the more sweet, and the hope is that he comes straight in as a key squad player, providing much-needed depth in his position at the same time.