Raphael Wicky leading race for West Brom job after advanced talks

Wicky met and impressed club chiefs in talks in London this week, with Albion sporting director Andrew Nestor leading the hunt for Carlos Corberan's successor.

Dutch coach Rene Hake, the former Manchester United No.2 to Erik Ten Hag, was also interviewed by the club.

But Swiss national Wicky, 47, is in pole position to take over at The Hawthorns. The former midfielder, who was a youth coach before managing Basel in his homeland and Chicago Fire in the United States, won a league and cup double with Young Boys in 2022/23, his sole full season in charge.

He was always the hierarchy's preferred candidate, the Express & Star understands, and the standout contender following two rounds of interviews.

He was sacked by the Bern club last March despite still holding a lead at the summit. Young Boys had exited the Europa League.

It is thought Wicky's style carries a resemblance to that of Corberan's in that of a coach capable of developing talent from within.

It is reported the former Werder Bremen and Atletico Madrid midfielder's approach fits the modern-day thinking of Albion's Bilkul Football board, with Nestor leading the head coach search for an analytical-style boss.

The Swiss also boasts European football experience with Young Boys, who have won six of the last seven Swiss Super League titles. He managed the champions in a Champions League campaign in 2023/24, with clashes against RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

He departed the club with a 59 per cent win ratio from 100 matches. 

Wicky is Bilkul's first football appointment of any significance after Corberan's sudden exit for Valencia on Christmas Eve.

The front-runner in Albion's new boss hunt began his coaching career with youth jobs in his homeland at Thun, Servette and Basel before a first senior job with the latter in 2017. Basel claimed the title a few days later.

Basel dismissed Wicky a little over a year later in July 2018 before a couple of jobs in the United States, initially with the national under-19s side before MLS side Chicago Fire in December 2019. He remained there until September 2021. 

The coach enjoyed impressive success with his double-winning campaign of 2022/23 before a mid-season stutter the following campaign saw Wicky dismissed as the lead at the top-flight's summit was cut to one point.

The coach admitted last summer he was still 'recovering and getting over' his dismissal.

He said last August: "The dismissal hit me hard. After these very successful times and with all the goals achieved, I would naturally have liked more support.

"I never had the feeling before a game that it was about my job, on the contrary, the relationship with the players was always good.

"When I had to leave, we were still leaders. Would you understand that you were no longer the right man for the job?"

Wicky added in an interview last summer he had numerous approaches and talks with clubs and associations around the world after his dismissal. Last Autumn he took a five-week trip to Los Angeles, home of his wife, prior to a return to the game.