West Bromwich Albion have run into problems with their pursuit of Houston Dynamo winger Alberth Elis, according to The Sun.
The national newspaper’s print edition (Sunday January 27th, page 63) claimed that West Brom will struggle to get a work permit for the 22-year-old attacker as his nation, Honduras, are ranked 62nd in the world and that goes against him.
Football Insider previously reported that West Brom had made an approach for Elis with his MLS side valuing him as being worth £5million.
OPINION
It seems this report has given a rather bleak update on West Brom’s chance of signing Elis. While it doesn’t rule out the move still happening, it does seem WBA face a battle trying to get the 22-year-old winger a work permit and with time working against them it doesn’t sound like good news. Elis would have been a very good signing for the Baggies as he has looked like a top-quality attacking threat while playing for Houston. Elis has scored 22 goals, while assisting 15 in the 64 appearances he has made for him, and given those states it sounds like he could do a job for WBA. It seems unfair that despite Elis having 34 caps for Honduras, it’s hard to get him a work permit due to where his country are ranked by FIFA. Hopefully a solution is worked out as it would be rather annoying if WBA had to change tact and abandon their pursuit of him.