Carlos Corberan's situation: Could he return to West Brom in summer? | OneFootball

Carlos Corberan is a popular figure at West Brom, and a return to The Hawthorns for the Valencia boss would go down well with the fans.

West Brom extended their unbeaten run to seven games as they drew with Millwall on Friday night, but results elsewhere mean they are just two points above the relegation zone.

So, the Baggies still have work to do, but there will be a belief that they can finish above the bottom three under the guidance of James Morrison.

The former player has done a fine job since he was named as Eric Ramsay’s successor until the end of the campaign, with Morrison simplifying the approach, making them much more organised defensively and harder to beat.

Given Albion’s improvements under Morrison, the 39-year-old will have to be a candidate to land the job on a permanent basis, although you would expect the hierarchy at The Hawthorns to assess all their options before making a decision, and the calibre of coach they can attract will obviously depend on what division they’re in.

Carlos Corberan under scrutiny at Valencia as they battle to stay in La Liga

Albion fans will all have different opinions on who the next head coach should be, but it would be no surprise if many would love Carlos Corberan to return.

The Spaniard was a hugely popular figure at the club after the fine job he did following his appointment in October 2022.

Corberan inherited a team in the relegation zone in the Championship, but they finished 9th that season before reaching the play-offs in his first full campaign. He then left them at Christmas 2024, with the team outside the top six on goal difference.

The appeal of Valencia, Corberan’s boyhood club, was too hard for him to turn down, even though they were facing the possibility of relegation.

However, he quickly made his mark back in Spain, as Valencia went on a great run to emphatically ease any fears of going down.

But, this season has been tough, and a 1-0 reverse to Elche on Saturday means Valencia are just four points above the bottom three.

It should be noted that La Liga is extremely competitive, but Corberan has been under scrutiny from the notoriously demanding Los Che support.

There had been calls for Corberan to go earlier in the season, but Valencia had appeared to have turned a corner, although losing three of their last four means they are nervously looking over their shoulders again.

Carlos Corberan return to West Brom may not be out of the question - providing they survive

There’s no indication that Corberan will be sacked, and, given the work he did last season, it would be a surprise if he didn’t remain in charge of the final seven games.

Yet, his long-term future will be in doubt. Corberan’s contract at the Mestalla runs until the summer of 2027, so a big decision is looming.

Of course, they could just let him run his deal down, but that would bring uncertainty that Corberan or the club wouldn’t want next season. A contract extension, in theory, is a possibility, but that may not go down well.

Therefore, you do get the sense Corberan and Valencia could part ways in the summer, and, even if they don’t, there’s a window of opportunity for clubs to prise him away.

Whether Albion would be an attractive enough option for the ex-Huddersfield coach is up for debate. Despite his obvious connection and love for the club, he may feel he deserves a crack at a higher level. In truth, though, if he wants to return to England, it’s hard to see him landing a Premier League job.

Shilen Patel has been honest with the Albion fans about the PSR situation he walked into, and it has restricted what they have been able to do.

Nevertheless, there is a hope that they have more freedom to operate moving forward, so there will be pressure on the owner to get things right, especially given the mistakes he has made since the takeover in terms of managerial appointments.

So, bringing Corberan back is something worth exploring, even if it may prove unrealistic, because his track record suggests he could get Albion fighting for a top eight spot next season, and a shot at reaching the Premier League.