West Brom Set to Sign Bournemouth Defender Marc Wilson Permanently After Successful Loan Spell
The Baggies are close to signing Republic of Ireland international Marc Wilson from Bournemouth on a permanent basis after a spell on loan, The Sun reported.
West Brom boss Tony Pulis lead the Baggies to a comfortable 10th placed finish last term and the Welshman has been rewarded with ready transfer funds.
The west Midlands club have already signed Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez for around £14m in recent weeks, and Pulis’ summer spending looks set to continue with a move for the former Stoke defender.
Wilson is contracted to Bournemouth for another year, though with a number of new arrivals this summer, Eddie Howe will be anxious not to let the former Manchester United youth player leave for free next year.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - AUGUST 16: Marc Wilson of Stoke City in action with Andreas Weimann of Aston Villa during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Aston Villa at Britannia Stadium on August 16, 2014 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Clive Brunskill/GettyImages
A deal for the former Portsmouth defender now looks to be imminent after the defender was left out of Bournemouth’s pre-season squad.
Howe smashed Bournemouth’s weekly wage record to bring former Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe back to the club after a spell in 2000/01, as well as a £20m deal for Chelsea youngster Nathan Ake.
With a number of new arrivals set to be announced, Howe will want to keep costs down and may dispense with the defender who has yet to make a competitive appearance for the South Coast club.
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 10: Tony Pulis, Manager of West Bromwich Albion (L) and Eddie Howe, Manager of AFC Bournemouth (R) embrace during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion at Vitality Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Warren Little/GettyImages
Since his arrival at the club in January 2015, Pulis has established West Brom as an extremely disciplined defensive unit, and Wilson’s ability to play in a number of defensive positions will mean he can provide vital cover for the Baggies back-line in the coming campaign.
The 29-year-old can also provide some much needed experience having been capped for the Republic of Ireland 25 times. West Brom once again reached the 40-point mark, practically guaranteeing safety by March, only to fade and finish the season on a mere 45-points last term.
Despite the scale of the achievement for a club of West Brom’s size, Pulis will be bitterly disappointed at his side’s failure to kick on and will be keen to bring in experienced competitors like Wilson to provide competition for places.
Wilson’s current contract with Bournemouth runs until June 2018.
