Carlos Corberán is in his first full season as West Brom manager, and he is looking to revitalize his squad despite budgetary constraints.
West Bromwich Albion have had an interesting time recently, both on and off the field, with ownership troubles presenting severe problems for the club’s long-term future.
On the football, Carlos Corberán was tasked with rejuvenating an Albion side that was suffering in the relegation zone under Steve Bruce, while also keeping their play-off aspirations alive until the final day.
This summer window, on the other hand, has made boosting their chances of finishing in the top six next season all the more difficult, with incomings few and few between.
Jeremy Sarmiento has joined on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion to provide competition and creativity out wide while Josh Maja arrives to aid their goal scoring woes on a free transfer from Bordeaux.
Going out the door meanwhile has seen the likes of Karlan Grant, Jake Livermore and Tom Rogic all depart, however, the most significant departure is that of Dara O’Shea. The Irish international became the Baggies’ stand out defender before departing for Burnley this summer with Albion blessed with depth in such a position but question marks over quality.
While funds are tight, it is clear a defender will be needed to reinforce their backline and their chances of a strong finish this season and should battle it out for a player their local neighbours are currently on the hunt for.
What is the latest regarding the Jonathan Panzo situation?
Nottingham Forest are looking to trim their bloated squad this season, with Jonathan Panzo on a list of players Steve Cooper is looking to loan out to EFL clubs this summer, according to Darren Witcoop of the Sunday Mirror.
Recent developments meanwhile have seen Birmingham City show their interest in the former Coventry City loanee as they eye up defensive reinforcements and would likely be seen as a replacement for Auston Trusty, according to Alex Dicken of Birmingham Live.
It has also been believed that Panzo is in talks to join Cardiff City on loan too as reported by the Not The Top 20 Pod highlighting that several parties are in the race for his services. Time for West Brom to strike is running out to make what would be just their third signing of the window.
Who is Jonathan Panzo?
A Chelsea academy graduate, the 22-year-old is not short of experience. Moving to AS Monaco in 2018, he played twice for the French giants before moving on loan to Belgium to ply his trade for Cercle Brugge.
A later move to Dijon saw him receive more regular minutes in Ligue 1, registering 22 appearances before quickly making the move back to England to join Nottingham Forest.
With just one appearance in his first season at the City Ground, he made the short trip to Coventry City for the duration of last season, playing 29 times for the Sky Blues, including a late cameo in the play-off final defeat to Luton Town.
With competition back at Forest fierce, another loan is on the cards for the defender with the level of interest of little surprise in what is likely to be a smart move by whoever brings him in.
What will Panzo bring to the West Brom defence?
One of those who would benefit from his talent is West Bromwich Albion. While the departure of Dara O’Shea speaks for itself, the remaining talent proves to be an intriguing dilemma for Corberán.
Currently boasting five fit centre backs, including Kyle Bartley, Caleb Taylor, Erik Pieters, Semi Ajayi and Cédric Kipré, the West Brom boss is handed a selection headache without the possibility of another recruit.
However, recent defensive performances suggest otherwise, the Baggies yet to keep a clean sheet this campaign after being susceptible to lapses of concentration and poor defensive judgements on more than one occasion.
Recent defeats to Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City have seen the Black Country outfit concede twice from kick-off on their travels, even with differing backlines, leading to an opening day defeat and EFL Cup exit in quick succession.
Victory against Swansea City meanwhile papered over the cracks for Albion with a 3-0 lead quickly evaporating with poor defensive plays seeing the visitors capitalise from set-pieces and deliveries into the area, going close to levelling the scores late on in an alarming conclusion to the affair.
Performances have been seen in a back four dating back to last season as well as the recent transition to a back three against Stoke and Swansea. While patience may be needed for this transition, the recruitment of a left-footed centre half experienced in such a system would be crucial in shoring up at the back.
At 35, Pieters remains the only option for the Baggies as a left-footed option on that side of the defence with age likely to be a contributing factor in terms of his availability across the course of the campaign.
With money tight and more incomings limited, the likes of having someone like Panzo is a shrewd and effective move as a solution to their defensive woes. A lack of goals down the other end will ultimately catch up to them while conceding six goals in their first three games is simply not sustainable.
A player needing consistent game time in order to develop, a club needing a rock at the back – this move, on paper, is great for both parties.
