£16m needed to prise Rondon from Baggies
WEST Brom striker Salomon Rondon does have a release clause if the club suffer relegation this summer – but it’s not as low as the £8 million that has been mooted.
The Birmingham Post understands that Rondon, who has scored nine goals this season for struggling Albion, could leave The Hawthorns this summer should a suitable offer be received. Despite reports elsewhere over the weekend that the clause is worth £8 million, it’s believed that the club would not be obligated to sell the Venezuelan unless he was the subject of an offer of more than £16 million.
The international forward, 28, has made more than 100 appearances for the Baggies since he arrived in the summer of 2015 for a then clubrecord fee of around £12m.
He’s scored more than 25 goals in all competitions in that time, includ- ing six in his last 16 matches. In January 2017 the Baggies turned down a bid of more than £32 million from Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin Quanjin for the attacker late in the window.
Having sold Saido Berahino to Stoke and with Hal Robson-Kanu the only other forward at the club, Albion chose to reject the offer.
Rondon is one of four players who have relegation release clauses inserted into their Albion contracts.
Nacer Chadli is another – the Bel- gian, injured but for 16 minutes since October – has a clause in the same region as Rondon’s.
Jonny Evans’ situation has been well documented; the club captain can leave for just £3 million this summer. Evans, who missed Saturday’s draw with Swansea because of injury, is about to head into the final year of his contract. He was the subject of bids from Arsenal and Manchester City in the previous two transfer windows and has since been linked with Tottenham.