West Bromwich Albion manager Slaven Bilic is set to reshuffle his squad ahead of their return to the Premier League, and the trio of Kieran Gibbs, Kenneth Zohore and Oliver Burke could all be on the lookout for a new club this summer, according to The Telegraph.
West Bromwich Albion in Squad Reshuffle as They Look to Offload Kieran Gibbs, Kenneth Zohore and Oliver Burke
Promotion From the Championship for West Bromwich Albion
John Percy claims that with the club having been promoted to the Premier League, they will now look to give their squad a clear-out to prepare themselves for life in the top tier of English football, and it’s the previously mentioned three players who are facing the chop.
The Baggies have spent the Championship season battling at the top end of the table and although they faced a late scare with both Brentford and even Fulham threatening to overtake them into the automatic promotion places, Slaven Bilic’s side ultimately came out on top and secured a place in the Premier League.
Now, they’ll spend the off-season trying to ensure they are as well equipped as possible to stay in the top tier and not have an immediate drop back down into the second division.
Gibbs Has Premier League Experience
To do that, some players may need to be sacrificed.
Gibbs, who does previously have experience of top-flight football both with West Brom and former club Arsenal, only featured in 14 games for the Hawthorns-based club this season. It is the lowest amount of games he has ever played in a campaign for the Baggies and the club are ready to offload him this summer.
Zohore is Low in the Pecking Order
Another player facing the exit door is Kenneth Zohore. Having only signed for Albion at the beginning of the season from Cardiff City, he too could be looking for new pastures. He played 17 times this season but bagged only three goals and with other strikers above him in the pecking order, he isn’t needed at West Brom.
Burke Spent the Season in Spain
Finally, Oliver Burke is the final name who is reportedly being touted to other clubs. Burke featured in just two games for the English club before being shipped out on loan to Alaves in La Liga. In Spain, he featured in 31 games (mainly coming off the bench) and chipped in with one goal and two assists along the way.
It looks like his next move though could be a permanent one, having spent three seasons with the Baggies but being unable to cement down a starting space in the first-team.
All three now are reportedly being shown around to other clubs in the bid to try and sell them. With the experience that all three have of both the Premier League and Championship, it might not be too hard to find a buyer.
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