Things can only get Bera
UNSETTLED West Brom striker Saido Berahino will be a wanted man in the New Year – if he can prove his doubters wrong before then.
Tottenham, Stoke, West Ham and Everton are among a clutch of clubs monitoring the situation of the former England Under-21s star as the January transfer window looms.
However, while Baggies boss Tony Pulis IS now ready to sell Berahino – who will be out of contract in June – fears over the player’s mental and physical shape persist.
Pulis confirmed last weekend that Berahino, 23, (right) “just needs games” to reach the fitness levels required for Premier League action.
But with West Brom flying high in the top half of the table, the striker has fallen down the first-team pecking order at The Hawthorns.
That means Under-23s matches – he did play against Wolves in midweek EVERTON have been linked with Watford striker Troy Deeney in the January transfer window. Goodison boss Ronald Koeman reckons Deeney, 28, would be the perfect partner to share the goalscoring burden with Romelu Lukaku. Watford are in no hurry to part with their talismanic captain but Everton could start the bidding at £12million.
STEVE MILLAR – and arranged festive friendlies could be the only way of putting him in the shop window. Whether that will persuade Spurs and the rest to enter a bidding war for Berahino – whose last competitive outing was three months back – remains to be seen. Just two years ago, he was rated at around £25million but after former Baggies chief Jeremy Peace refused to do business with Tottenham, the forward’s form and attitude nosedived. Stoke boss Mark Hughes also failed to land him last summer despite tabling a club-record £20m bid. The Potters, along with Everton and the Hammers, are interested in trying to seal a cut-price deal next month but like Spurs they all want clear evidence Berahino is both willing and capable of mixing it among the elite still. HARRY PRATT SUNDERLAND are eyeing Ipswich centre-back Adam Webster.
But they could face competition for his services from Hull.
Sunderland would have to sell before making a move for Webster, 21.
Black Cats defender Lamine Kone, 27, has been linked with a £25million move to West Ham or Everton in the January window.
PAUL HETHERINGTON