West Brom should make shrewd financial decision with Blackburn Rovers deal | OneFootball

As Blackburn Rovers circle around one of Baggie' senior servants, a sale could prove shrewd business in the financial health of the club.

As Blackburn Rovers begin to circle West Bromwich Albion's struggling skipper, Jed Wallace, a winter sale could prove sustainable in the financial future of the club.

Despite his strong start to life in the blue and white stripes, Wallace has suffered a tumultuous time in his West Brom career as of late.

His first two seasons at The Hawthorns saw him awarded the captaincy of the club by manager Carlos Corberan, who saw the former Millwall man as the prototype for his philosophy of football.

Corberan told the Express and Star: "For me, being a captain is really important. When you are a manager and you need to make a decision about who to pick, you have to see who has the leadership skills and the desire.

"He needs to show an exemplary level of commitment in training, in matches and to his job every single day. This is why I have picked Jed Wallace and I’m confident he will do a fantastic job."

For over five successive seasons, Wallace demonstrated a steady stream of returns in the second tier, consistently showcasing a pedigree for providing goals and assists that made him the ideal choice to spearhead the Spaniard's ambitious side, but in his third year as a Baggie, the former Lion has left lots to be desired, failing to provide a goal or assist in his 20 appearances thus far.

Such poor form has reduced Wallace to primarily a supporting role and backup to the Baggies' brightest young gem, Tom Fellows, who has sidelined the winger to only three starts this season, a considerable drop-off from the 38 Wallace registered last term.

With Wallace's lack of action, it is no surprise the former Millwall man has been linked with a move away from The Hawthorns this winter window, as Alan Nixon, The Sun's transfer specialist has reported that Blackburn Rovers are lining up a move for the faltering forward should they fail to secure the services of Crystal Palace's Jeffery Schlupp.

Wallace's former club Portsmouth have also thrown their hat in the ring for a reunion that would mark 10 years since the winger was on Pompey's books.

The departure of Wallace would prove key for future of West Brom's wage bill

As seen from the graphic above, Wallace is estimated to actually be the second-highest-paid permanent player on West Brom's books, behind only long-term absentee, Daryl Dike.

But when viewed in accordance with all four summer signings' estimated salaries, the shift in transfer prerogative is immediately apparent since Wallace's arrival in 2022, and under the new ownership structure of Shilen Patel.

The higher-paid contracts historically handed out to seasoned second-tier signings, has been replaced by smaller salaries to unknown European prospects, evident by the additions of Torbjorn Heggem and Ousmane Diakite, who both ranked near the bottom of the Baggies wage bill, with West Brom seeking to return to being one of the more shrewd financial operators in the English football pyramid.

Patel has introduced a new incentivised system that has already worked wonders with players such as Fellows, Darnell Furlong and Jayson Molumby, all players who have been awarded improved contracts in the previous 18 months based solely upon the merit of performances, and have continued their fine form this season.

Simply, Wallace's displays on the pitch have not done enough to justify such an inflated salary amidst a shifting philosophy within the hierarchy of the club, and with the winger firmly positioned as a rotational option, such a salary could prove better servicing more urgent areas of the West Brom squad, with Patel faced with many January issues to address.

With urgent January issues to address, the sale of Wallace could enable vital fixes to be found

The announcement of the long-term injury of West Brom high-flyer, Josh Maja, not only dealt a hammer blow to the Baggies' hearts after his stellar start to the season, but contributed to a sense of collective exhaustion, adding to a mounting list of issues that need addressing before the winter window comes to a close.

As Albion's managerial merry-go-round enters its third week without fulfilling the vacancy, little attention has been paid to the absence of additions to the West Brom squad, despite the termination of Lewis Dobbin's loan spell leaving the club light on reinforcements, and the aforementioned issue of Maja's absence.

The removal of £25,000 from the Baggies' weekly wage bill could certainly contribute to solving some of these issues, possibly enabling multiple temporary additions to be made to the playing squad by the time the winter window comes to a close.

Although Albion would not be able to demand a sizable fee for Wallace with only six months remaining on the winger's contract, any fee earned would also be 100% profit for the former Millwall man after his arrival as a free agent, something that would ease the PSR concerns that Sky Sports reported may restrain the side from substantial spending.

This is something that could prove vital when Albion eventually dip their foot in the transfer market, as Patel looks to put out as many fires as possible by the resumption of Championship action, and reinvest the funds to provide further competition and depth to the promotion-hopeful squad.