West Brom are competing with West Ham to sign right-back Junior Caicara from Istanbul Basaksehir, a report from The Sun has claimed.
Caicara made 33 league appearances for Istanbul as they lifted the Turkish Super Lig title for the first time in their history last season, and it seems as though the defender’s contribution from that success has earned him plenty of attention from elsewhere.
According to the latest reports, both the Baggies and the Hammers are interested in signing the 31-year-old, as they look to strengthen their squads ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Russian outfit Zenit St. Petersburg are also said to be interested in a move for the Brazilian – who also owns a Bulgarian passport to negate any work permit issues – although Caicara himself reportedly prefers the prospect of a move to the Premier League.
It is thought that it will cost around £3million to secure the services of Caicara, who currently has 12 months remaining on his contract with Istanbul, who do have the option to extend that deal by a further year – as per Transfermarkt.
You have to feel as though this may not really need to be a priority for West Brom this summer in all honesty.
While there are areas of their squad they need to strengthen, the performances of Darnell Furlong and Dara O’Shea mean that right-back is probably not one of those positions that need addressing for Slaven Bilic’s side.
Indeed, at 31-years-old and having never played in the Premier League before, you have to wonder slightly whether Caicara would even be the best candidate if they did need to strengthen at right-back, meaning you feel the club may be better off prioritising other signings instead.
