OPINION
West Brom have surely been given a boost in their search for a new manager after it was claimed that the chances of one of their reported targets leaving their current club has increased.
The Baggies have reportedly been in talks with Charlton Athletic boss Lee Bowyer about him becoming James Shan’s successor at the Hawthorns [Express & Star].
And according to South London Press, Bowyer only has until Friday to sign an extension with the Addicks before the possibility of him leaving on a free becomes a reality.
The report says that Charlton’s negotiations with Bowyer only began on Tuesday because there has been no urgency from the club to get the ball rolling since the manager returned from a holiday to Dubai last Tuesday.
If this report is true, it is surely fantastic news for West Brom and their fans. A previous report has said that former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is the club’s first choice [Express & Star], but this has got to give the Baggies a surefire backup plan.
The fact that the Addicks may only have four days of talks with Bowyer to try to convince him to stay at the club could make it very unlikely that a deal will be reached by Friday.
It’s a terrible set of circumstances for Charlton, with Bowyer having guided the club to promotion to the Championship just weeks ago.
And while Bilic looks to be in positive talks with the Baggies, nothing official has been announced yet and that means the possibilities of a deal falling through still remain.
Therefore, this report from South London Press surely means that the possibility of Bowyer coming in remains an option, and that the Baggies could still turn to the Charlton boss.