West Bromwich Albion have received the worst possible Christmas gift following the news that head coach Carlos Corberan has agreed to join Spanish giants Valencia.
The Baggies have had to contend with a mountain of speculation over the past couple of weeks. It was heavily rumoured that Premier League outfit Southampton had identified Corberan as a replacement for Russell Martin, who departed St Mary’s earlier this month. However, they breathed a sigh of relief when the Saints appointed Ivan Juric on Saturday.
Their relief didn’t last long though. Six-time Spanish champions parted company with manager Ruben Baraja yesterday with the club sitting 19th in La Liga, four points from safety. They have immediately set their sights on Corberan, who was a part of Valencia’s youth setup as a player.
Done Deal?
News emerged overnight that Valencia had completed a deal with Corberan. Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano posted on his social media platforms that the 41-year-old had agreed a contract until June 2027 after the Spaniards triggered his €3 million release clause.
🚨🦇 Carlos Corberán, set to sign as new Valencia head coach until June 2027 as replacement for Baraja.
Release clause over €3m triggered and Corberán will sign for Valencia in the next 24h. pic.twitter.com/B7tcb4PIWY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 23, 2024
Huge Blow For West Brom
Corberan guided West Brom to the play-offs last season with a fifth-placed finish in the Championship. This was a feat which was widely lauded, especially due to the Baggies off-field woes throughout the previous campaign.
This saw the West Midlands-based outfit take the decision to extend the former Huddersfield Town boss’ contract in February in a deal which would keep him at the Hawthorns until 2027. However, we now know that his contract contained a £2.5 million release clause.
West Brom currently sit just outside the play-off places in seventh having lost just one of their previous 14 league fixtures. That run does include a staggering 11 draws though.
Writer’s View
This isn’t the news that West Brom fans will have wanted before Christmas. It was thought they dodged a bullet following Southampton’s interest, although it was expected that he would eventually move on to pastures new once a ‘bigger’ club came calling. It wasn’t expected to happen so soon though and the Baggies appear as if they will enter the hectic festive period in search of a new head coach. With tough away games on the horizon against Derby County and Sheffield United, it will be interesting to see if this news upsets their form.
