According to Sun reporter Alan Nixon, West Brom are ready to sell starlet Oli Burke, this being dependent on offers being acceptable to the Baggies.
Writing on Twitter, this is what Nixon has to say:
Burke came to prominence as a youngster at Nottingham Forest, signing on at the Reds in 2005 from local side Mowbray Rangers. He rapidly progressed through the ranks, making the first team squad in 2014.
He appeared in 31 first-team games for Forest, catching the eye of many watchers with his performances, performances that brought six goals and three assists. Such was the level of his performance that, alongside plaudits, it brought him a near-£14million move to German 1.Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.
He spent one season in Germany, a season where he made 26 appearances (one goal/two assists) before a move back to England and the Midlands with West Brom, who matched the fee the Germans paid Forest.
Last season, in West Brom’s doomed Premier League campaign, Burke made 15 appearances, assisting two goals against Brighton and Leicester. This season, his appearances have been curtailed to the degree that he’s featured just once, for 14 minutes, in the Championship opener. The next six games saw him make the bench for the Baggies, but he’s not been present for the last five games.
West Brom, according to Nixon, are waiting for “a decent offer” and you can expect that to be at/near the £13.7million that he is reported to have cost. Nixon states that “a few fancy him” and that this even includes some Premier League teams who see him as a “long-term project.”
Here’s what some football fans are saying in response to Nixon’s post:
Should have just stayed at #nffc . Running off to Germany just as he was establishing himself in the Championship always looked a daft move.
— YouAreMyForest (@YouAreMyForest) October 14, 2018
Should never have left the club in the first place.
— Ian McGhie (@ian7363) October 14, 2018
Nope. It was Dougie that pulled that deal. Argument was that he wasn’t mature enough. Lacking some tactical awareness and positional sense. Reflected in his lack of games in Germany and now at WBA.
— Robert Sutherland (@RoDuSu) October 14, 2018
I’d have him back in a heartbeat. Pace, pace and pace. #nffc
— John Patching (@JohnPatching) October 14, 2018
Hasn’t played any regular football for over two years.
— YouAreMyForest (@YouAreMyForest) October 14, 2018