West Brom has to point to Celtic midfielder Olivier Ntcham as part of a ready-to-buy deal, Football Insider can reveal it exclusively.
This announced earlier this week that the Baggies had joined the race for the flexible Frenchman.
A source from West Brom told Football Insider that the club is an initial loan for Ntcham for a permanent move next summer.
It should be noted that Celtic would be willing to let a key member of its conqueror Scottish champions leave in such conditions.
There is also interest in the midfield of long-time contenders Southampton such as the French duo Lyon and Marseille.
Football Insider earlier this year that Neil Lennon’s team valued Ntcham at about 12 million pounds, almost 3 times what they paid for it in 2017.
However, Albion believes it can be enrolled for a less expensive value, as it does not come out for hoops.
He made nine appearances for Celtic this season, adding five in the lineup.
In Lennon’s favorite 3-5-2 formation, Ntcham won 3-2 last weekend over Livingston in a central playing role.
He has tended to be used in more complex positions since Lennon replaced Brendan Rodgers as coach, having played almost in center midfield alongside Scott Brown in his first season in Glasgow.
Ntcham made thirteen appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, scoring 23 goals and offering thirteen assists.
He’s got two years left on his Hoops contract.
In other news, Alex McLeish puts his weight on Celtic’s most sensible ranks as runaway star engineers become seven-time Champions League champions.