Saido Berahino just doesn’t love you, West Brom: take the hint.
The wantaway star and well-paid hostage has been angling for a move out of the Midlands for literally years, but that hasn’t stopped the Baggies from throwing down contract offer after contract offer in an attempt to keep him at the Hawthorns.
Sometimes, you’ve just got to accept defeat. Saido wants to Sai-go, Tony, no matter how sexy you can make a contract look.
With Berahino’s current deal running out next year, the Baggies are especially desperate in trying to tie their star down, and laid out a new offer this week. Obviously, Berahino hasn’t signed it and will probably never sign it, not that it seems to bother Pulis.
[quote]”The club has offered him a new contract not just this week, but in previous months too, so they’ve been in negotiations with Saido, so we’ll just see how that pans out.
“The deals have been on the table for the boy and his agent – we’ll see how that pans out.
“Again, we’ve hit the funny month. He’s only got one more month left of this if he doesn’t sign, so that’s probably a bonus for me.
“If we sell him we will work very very hard to get a replacement in. If we don’t sell him, we’ll have to work very very hard to get him back to what he was 18 months ago.”[/quote]
The whole saga is tiresome for both club and player, especially in light of what’s gone before. Chairman Jeremy Peace placed a high price tag on Berahino of £20million and upwards back in early 2015, at the time deemed a pretty high price tag for a player yet to prove himself in the Premier League.
The club rejected bids of £15million from Tottenham Hotspur in 2015 as well as a transfer request from the player himself. Last summer, a bid of potentially £20million from Stoke was rejected. Crystal Palace came in with a similar bid, also rejected.
Since then, club and player have been engaged in a Mexican stand-off: Berahino obviously doesn’t want to stay, adamant West Brom should have let him go in previous windows, while the club doesn’t want him to leave but also won’t let him depart for anything less than their pretty extortionate asking price.
Seemingly being held at the Hawthorns against his will, Berahino hasn’t appeared for Pulis’ side since September. So now, unless the club accepts a bid (presumably well below their asking price) for Berahino this transfer window, West Brom could be letting one of their brightest talents go for free in the summer.
The situation is far from ideal for Berahino as well, however: will a club take a punt on a player who’s attitude has seen him without first-team action since September? While obviously a promising striker, Berahino has yet to set the Premier League alight and his tantrums at not being allowed to leave West Brom will see some clubs steer clear of the young hothead.
Congratulations, West Brom and Saido Berahino. You’ve both played yourselves.
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