Pulis will have to spend wisely in January window
ALBION owner Guochuan Lai and head coach Tony Pulis met for only the second time on Saturday – but there was no time to talk finances.
The pair exchanged pleasantries via a translator when they spoke for around 10 minutes before the 1-1 draw with Tottenham at The Hawthorns.
A more meaningful discussion about a possible budget for new players in January was held over a dinner on Friday night involving chairman John Williams, Guochuan and his advisors.
It’s thought the message from Guochuan to Williams was in keeping with the line of communication from Pulis in his pre-match press conference.
“We’re not going to be spending hundreds of millions of pounds,” Pulis said. “But there is money there to spend and we’ve got to be clever and astute in what we do and the way we do it.”
The Chinese delegation were in town for their second Baggies game, but first since Guochuan’s acquisition of West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited, through his Yunyi Investment Group, was officially authorised.
Guochuan and his associates congratulated the players after they extended their unbeaten run to four games.
They then treated the club’s most senior members of staff, including chief executive Mark Jenkins, director of football administration Richard Garlick and technical director Nick Hammond, to a meal on Saturday night.
Despite a relatively encouraging start to the season, Albion are still crying out for a fourth striker and more steel in central midfield.
The case for a right-back, to provide cover and competition for Craig Dawson, might also be made within the manager’s manifesto in the New Year.