West Bromwich Albion are less than 24 hours away from announcing the capture of Swansea City defender Kyle Bartley as he prepares to undergo a medical today (Friday 13 July), according to the Express and Star.
The newspaper report on their website that the Baggies have agreed a fee of £4million for the 6’3″ (source: Transfermarkt) colossus and that he could be announced as the second signing of the summer by the weekend.
With West Brom having already spent a reported £6.5million on the capture of Sam Johnstone from Manchester United, the move for Bartley will push the club’s spending over the £10million threshold, as the Hawthorns outfit look to make a return to the Premier League following relegation.
Good move for West Brom?
Without a shadow of a doubt.
Bartley is a proven talent in the Championship and snapping him up from division rivals Swansea is a real coup.
His presence and experience at the heart of defence will be a massive asset to the Baggies’ hopes of remaining resolute in the second tier, and give the squad a platform from which to build.
A strong defence is always a key to success in the Championship and Bartley will make sure that West Brom have just that – and for a reasonable price at that.
This is Futbol rating: 10/10
Likely to happen?
Barring some extraordinary event, the Baggies fans can start getting Bartley’s name on the back of their shirts.
Everything is in line for the 27-year-old to move from Wales to the midlands, and it sounds as though fans could be welcoming their second signing through the door in a matter of hours.