West Brom hope for breakthrough in Charlie Taylor pursuit
Albion will push for a breakthrough this week in their pursuit of Leeds United left-back Charlie Taylor.
The two clubs held discussions over the 23-year-old earlier in the month and the Baggies are keen to reopen lines of communication, following Andrea Radrizzani’s takeover at Elland Road and the exit of Garry Monk as manager of the Yorkshire club.
Taylor is a long-time target and Albion want to agree a fee for the young defender before his contract expires next month.
Leeds would be due compensation for a player who has been on their books since the age of 11 and Albion fear they could end up paying substantially more should a tribunal set the price. Boss Tony Pulis has suggested the Baggies might end their interest in the player altogether if an agreement cannot be reached.
“If it’s going to go to tribunal, we don’t know what the price is and I think that takes us out of the game,” said the boss earlier this month.
“You could go to tribunal and they could put an extraordinary amount of money on it and you’re stuck with it. It’s a risk that, at this moment, is not worth taking.”
Taylor is understood to be keen on a move to The Hawthorns and personal terms are close to being agreed following discussions between his representatives and the club. The England under-19 international was fined two weeks’ wages after refusing to play in Leeds’ final game of the season against Wigan and branded ‘naive’ by then boss Monk.
Speculation over Pulis’s own future, which surfaced in newspaper reports over the weekend, has had no effect as yet on Albion’s approach to the summer transfer window.
The head coach has been promised a competitive transfer budget by owner Guochuan Lai as Albion look to improve on last season’s 10th-placed finish.
Veteran defender John Terry is still a top target but Pulis must wait for the defender to decide his future before making any firm move.
The 36-year-old, who is set to be a free agent after leaving Chelsea, has vowed to take some time out before deciding on his future and is expected to have offers from both the USA and China as well as other Premier League clubs.
