West Bromwich Albion fans have got an awful lot of games left to get through this season. However, the Baggies are still in a great position to get back to the Premier League by the end of the season, as the Championship campaign so far has been nothing short of sublime.
To ensure promotion back to the Premier League, though, Slaven Bilic’s side could be set to bring in a couple of January signings, and the latest reports claim that the Baggies are looking into the signing of a young Croatian, but they’re not the only side chasing the youngster.
The player in question is HNK Rijeka midfield man Ivan Lepinjica. The youngster is on the radar of a lot of top clubs, and the reports from Croatian outlet T Portal have claimed that the Baggies will have to outdo Leeds United, Tottenham and Chelsea to sign the player.
The 20-year-old defensive midfield man has made 11 appearances in the Croatian first division this season and has also earned himself five caps for the Croatian U21 side (Transfermarkt), and now he could be set to progress his career with a move to England.
Slaven Bilic being a countryman of the young midfielder could be a real bonus for Lepinjica, and it looks like the youngster could be a real star in the Championship should he make the move, although beating the likes of Spurs and Chelsea to his signature won’t be easy.
Do West Brom need to spend in January?
Yes, the squad needs that extra something
No, we're sorted for now
The report does claim that Chelsea have offered between three and four million euros, but the Rijeka hierarchy aren’t willing to part with the youngster unless an offer of at least five million euros, which is something the Baggies could feasibly offer.