What fee will West Brom get for Burnley-bound Dara O’Shea and who will the Baggies buy?
- Simon Wilkes
- 21 June 2023
West Brom will be hoping to get around £10million from the sale of Dara O'Shea to Burnley - and will likely make a move for Blackpool striker Jerry Yates once they have banked the cash.
West Brom defender Dara O'Shea looks set to join Burnley on Thursday if the two clubs agree on a fee and he passes a medical - but question marks surround what the fee will be.
The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international was a standout performer for Carlos Corberan's Baggies last season - and has been a fans' favourite since breaking into the first team.
He made 37 league appearances last season, scoring two goals and forging a strong central defensive partnership with Erik Pieters as Albion climbed from the bottom of the Championship table to a ninth-placed finish under Spaniard Corberan.
Albion's failure to get back into the Premier League will have financial repercussions this summer as their parachute payments come to an end.
The club's hierarchy have gone on the record to say summer sales will be needed to balance the books - and it seems that O'Shea will be the first player out of the Albion exit door, with news of his imminent move to Vincent Kompany's Clarets breaking on Wednesday.
Albion would ideally want a fee of around £15million for their star defender - but are more realistically likely to get £10million for the highly-rated O'Shea, who can play in various positions across the backline.
O'Shea's Republic team-mate Jayson Molumby could also be on his way this summer, with Leeds United reportedly pondering a bid for his services.
But the sale of O'Shea will likely trigger a busy summer of activity at The Hawthorns.
Corberan has Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and the returning Cedric Kipre battling for the centre-back positions - and will likely offer Pieters a new contract if the O'Shea deal goes through as expected.
So his priority will be to bolster his goalscoring options, with Albion having only netted 59 goals in 46 games, compared to Middlesbrough's haul of 84 and Burnley's 87.
Karlan Grant is expected to join SPL giants Rangers this summer, while injury-plagued Daryl Dike is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Corberan will need to be shrewd in the summer transfer window but has targeted a move for Blackpool striker Jerry Yates, who scored 14 goals in 41 appearances last season.
Yates' goals could not prevent Blackpool from being relegated to League One - and he is likely to command a fee of around £4million, which would be within Corberan's budget once the club have banked the cash from the sale of O'Shea.
Coventry, Bristol City and Ipswich Town have also been linked with a move for Yates - and Albion could spark a hunt for his signature once the O'Shea sale has gone through.
