OPINION
West Brom fans will surely be getting worried at the latest suggestions that striker Jay Rodriguez is available for just £5million this summer.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the 29-year-old agreed to add a clause to his contract at the end of the 2017/18 season – when the Baggies were relegated from the Premier League – which stated that Rodriguez could leave for that fee if the club failed to get promoted last term.
The report adds that the cut-price fee will rise to £10million after 12 months, but West Brom fans will surely now be worried that the player could leave this summer.
Previous transfer rumours have suggested that Brighton and Burnley are interested in signing the Englishman [Express & Star], and Burnley were said to have placed a £16million bid for the striker last summer.
You can bet your bottom dollar, then, that the Clarets will undoubtedly come back in for him if he is available for just £5million. Besides, there is not much chance Rodriguez will want to stay in the Championship if these sorts of clubs are in for him.
It will surely come as a massive worry for West Brom fans, especially given that they have already lost Dwight Gayle after he returned to Newcastle following his 24-goal loan spell.
Rodriguez scored 22 in the Championship – not far off his former teammate – but that is not the point here. The point is that if West Brom were to lose both potent attacking talents from their side, their chances at promotion next season would surely be shot.
It doesn’t seem like West Brom had any option but to add the clause to Rodriguez’s contract, however. The report states that with the likes of Craig Dawson and Ben Foster demanding to leave, they had to compromise to keep their striker around.
But now, their chance at keeping him around for any longer seems to be gone, as £5million is a snip for the likes of Burnley, who have previously bid considerably more for the player.