West Bromwich Albion are keen to add depth to their defensive department before the January transfer window closes tonight and were weighing up a swoop for Calum Chambers, according to reports.
It was revealed earlier today by talkSPORT that the Baggies were exploring the option to sign the versatile defender on a six-month loan from bitter rivals Aston Villa before the deadline. However, this deal may have hit a major bump in the road.
Chambers has yet to play a single game for Villa in the Premier League this term under Unai Emery, making merely three appearances overall, all of which have come in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Emery recently revealed in a press conference that the Midlands club were open to listening to offers for the former Arsenal centre-back, but would only sell him for the right price.
West Bromwich Albion were hoping to bring the 29-year-old to The Hawthorns but now a deal may be completely off the table. According to journalist Lewis Cox, West Brom are only willing to sign Chambers on loan for the remainder of the campaign but Aston Villa are looking to offload the out-of-favour star permanently.
Furthermore, Cox revealed that the only deal he expects West Brom to complete before the transfer market closes is the acquisition of Celtic winger Mikey Johnston. The Republic of Ireland international has been a mere squad player in Glasgow this season but has still bagged two goals and two assists in 12 matches for the Scottish giants.
Writer’s View
Chambers would have been an excellent signing for West Bromwich Albion. The former England international has plenty of experience in the Premier League and can plug many holes across the backline in case of an injury crisis which would have been useful for head coach Carlos Corberan.
However, West Brom are cash-strapped at the moment amid uncertainty in the hierarchy and the Baggies simply don’t seem to have the money right now to spend a large amount on a transfer fee when his wages alone come to £57,000 per week, as per Salary Sport. This transfer looks to have hit a dead end.
