Slaven wish set to be GRANTED in £15m deal for Karlan
WEST Brom were finally closing in on the signing of striker Karlan Grant after the club agreed a deal with Huddersfield Town ahead of tomorrow’s (Friday’s) transfer deadline.
Albion’s interest in Grant first surfaced in the January window, but at the time Town – who were fighting relegation from the Championship – refused to part with their prized asset and talisman.
The transfer chase, which has developed into something of a saga this summer, has rumbled on throughout the window and into the first month of the new season, during which time Albion have played four matches back in the Premier League.
Head coach Slaven Bilic has been desperate to sign Grant for some time now, having seen him close up last term; Grant netted for the Terriers in a 4-2 defeat to Albion at The Hawthorns in September 2019, one of 19 goals he plundered as he steered the club to safety under thenboss Danny Cowley.
Indeed, the forward line has remained the priority for Albion, despite being hamstrung by such a limited budget as the one they have been operating with, and Grant was expected to become their ninth signing of the window.
With a broken arm ruling out Hal RobsonKanu and Kenneth Zohore and Charlie Austin out-offavour, there was only Callum Robinson available to lead the line for Albion in the Premier League. Whether he will be considered ready to face Burnley on Monday remains to be seen; Grant hasn’t kicked a competitive ball since the end of last season, with Town boss Carlos Corberan omitting him and continuing with players he knew would still be at the club.
There has been an agreement for a while among all parties over how much Grant is worth, but it’s been more about how the deal is structured and ensuring Huddersfield are left in a situation where they can replace the player.
That structure appears to have been agreed and it is believed that, in total, the fee the Baggies would pay was in the region of £15 million.