Valero may stay at Hawthorns

Hawthorns boss Roberto Di Matteo has been encouraged by the impressive start that Valero has made in Spain and insists that he is keeping an open mind about the midfielder’s future.

Valero was granted a loan spell back to his previous club in the summer after failing to cement his place as a Di Matteo first team regular. In Spain he has been scoring freely, netting three times already for Real Mallorca.

“He`s doing very well,” said Di Matteo. “If somebody is doing well and he fits in our team and our squad then why shouldn`t I take him back?’

West Brom still have Valero tied down on a contract, and Real Mallorca could find that their finances won’t stretch to buying Valero back at a price agreeable to Albion. He originally cost us £4.5 million, when Tony Mowbray bought him; as Valero says, ‘Mallorca did good business when they sold me.”

Quite.