Alan Pardew has confirmed that West Brom are in talks with the agent of striker Tyler Roberts to tie him to a new contract amid intense interest from other clubs.
Roberts, 19, is out of contract at the end of the season and could leave the Baggies in a cut-price deal, with the Birmingham Mail reporting that Leeds, Rangers, Bournemouth, Marseille, AC Milan, Torino and Palermo are all keen to sign him either this month or in the summer.
The Daily Mail reported earlier this month that West Brom had rejected a £4million bid from Leeds for the teenage centre-forward, who could move away from England for a compensation fee as little as £300,000 in the summer due to cross-border rules.
Pardew has confirmed that West Brom are in negotiations with Roberts’ camp over a new deal and that he is aware of teams closely monitoring the Wales Under-21 international.
“There is some interest from other clubs and I’m very keen to keep him here,” Pardew said, as quoted by the Birmingham Mail. “We’re in discussions with his agent and the player to secure that.”
Roberts has recently returned to West Brom from a half-season loan at Walsall, where he scored five league goals in 15 matches.
Good move for Leeds?
There is compelling evidence that Roberts could be a plum signing. The centre-forward is a rising star – he has scored more goals than any other teenager in England’s top four divisions this season – and he could add an exciting new dimension to a Leeds attack that has looked severely lacking in recent months. The noises coming out of Leeds is that they want a new centre-forward before the January window shuts, but they are struggling to find someone who is suitable, affordable and available. Well, Roberts ticks all three boxes, and West Brom are vulnerable to losing him as he is a free agent in just a few months’ time.
This Is Futbol rating 8/10
Likely to happen?
There is global interest in Roberts and West Brom also want to tie him to a new deal. So Leeds will need to be very persuasive to secure a deal and it is more likely to get done in the summer. The youngster is in a strong negotiating position and might well choose to keep his options open in the coming months.
This Is Futbol rating 4/10