West Brom Opinion: Bilic reuniting with his former player Tolgay Arslan could be a massive coup for the Baggies
According to claims from Turkish news outlet Fanatik, Fenerbahce midfielder Tolgay Arslan could be set for a move to the Championship this summer with West Brom.
Fanatik understands that Baggies new manager Slaven Bilic is plotting a sensational reunion with his former Besiktas midfielder at Hawthorns, and with Fenerbahce under pressure to part ways with a number of players due to financial difficulties, the 28-year-old could be set to join his former manager in England.
West Brom’s long and tedious search for a new permanent manager finally ended with the appointment of former West Ham boss and Croatian stalwart Slaven Bilic.
The Baggies had the likes of Chris Hughton, Bundesliga great Bruno Labbadia, Alex Neil and Danny Cowley in their shortlist for the vacant managerial role but it was the 50-year-old who emerged as the standout candidate for the role at Hawthorns. (h/t Guardian)
Now, Bilic faces the daunting task of guiding the Baggies to Premier League promotion after West Brom’s hopes of making it back to the top-flight at the first time of asking ended with a penalty-shootout defeat at the hands of Midlands rivals Aston Villa in the playoff semi-finals last month. And the Croatian has seemingly identified central midfield as an area which requires some investment this summer.
Bilic worked with Arslan during his two-year stint at Besiktas from 2013 to 2015 and it was during his time that the midfielder arrived at Vodafone Park from German Bundesliga outfit Hamburger.
Bilic didn’t stay at the helm of affairs at Besiktas for too long following his arrival but Arslan went on to play a key role for the Turkish heavyweights over the course of his three seasons at the club before switching boats to join Fenerbahce back in January 2019.
The 28-year-old made 28 appearances last season for Besiktas and Fenerbahce combined but a move to West Brom is certainly not beyond the realms of possibility, with the chance to reunite with Slaven Bilic likely to appeal to the German-Turk enforcer.
To put things into perspective, Tolgay Arslan might not be a world-beater but his wealth of top-level experience in Germany and Turkey, as well as in the Champions League and Europa League should make it a no-brainer for West Brom to sign him.
The 28-year-old is still very much in his prime years and the Baggies should relish the prospect of bringing in such a high-profile player this summer.
Essentially a defensive midfielder by trade, the former German U-21 international is noted for his impressive range of passing and immaculate ball distribution skills, whilst also possessing the ability to break up the play with crucial tackles and interceptions.
A strong and tenacious central midfielder known for his work-rate on and off the ball, Arslan also boasts of excellent dribbling skills to go with his good eye for final balls in the attacking third.
West Brom certainly need to bring in reinforcements in central midfield this summer, given that the likes of Rekeem Harper, James Morrison and Gareth Barry are all out of contract. Jake Livermore is likely to be one of the mainstays for yet another season but question marks continue to linger over the future of Fulham loanee Stefan Johansen.
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Keeping that in mind, Tolgay Arslan would certainly add a lot of depth, steel, quality and experience to West Brom’s midfield and the acquisition of the 28-year-old would be a strong statement of intent from Slaven Bilic, as the Baggies look to reignite their surge for promotion next term.
