West Brom have reportedly been linked with a move for Benfica star Filip Krovinovic.
The Daily Mail claim that Slaven Bilic wants to re-sign Krovinovic this summer, but the player is only available on a loan deal, yet again.
The Baggies are yet to strengthen their squad after securing promotion to the Premier League, and will need to get a move on if they are to add more depth and integrate the new signings through the short pre-season.
Krovinovic moved to England last summer and was a regular for West Brom, where he registered three goals and two assists in 24 Championship starts.
Re-signing Filip Krovinovic – A no-brainer
An attacking midfielder by trait, Krovinovic was used in a no.10 role in a 4-2-3-1 system to decent effect. Matheus Pereira was a bit more productive in this role, but Krovinovic also showed his versatility when asked to play in the deeper midfield roles as well.
Known for his vision and passing, Krovinovic is adept at turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye. His positioning and ability to read the game made West Brom’s midfield stronger. His best performances came against Reading last season, where he controlled the game from the middle of the park.
Krovinovic put in a number of such performances last season, mostly in a winning cause and it is a no-brainer for Bilic to stick with him for another season, even if they can only get him on loan.
West Brom managed to sign Pereira on a permanent deal this summer, which shows that the Brazilian may yet be the first choice in the midfielder for Bilic next season. But the squad at Hawthorns is a bit short when it comes to the attacking midfield roles.
The likes of Romaine Sayers and Hal Robson-Kanu had to fill in at times, so it is no surprise that Bilic is desperate to retain the services of Krovinovic for another season.
The Croat has already spent a season under Bilic and will not disrupt the chemistry in the squad. So signing him makes more sense for the manager rather than scouting for other transfer targets, who may take time to settle in at Hawthorns.
Benfica are not ready to let Krovinovic leave on a permanent deal yet, which shows how highly they rate him.
Bilic will want West Brom to profit from his development but back in the Premier League after a while, retaining the top-flight status should be of more importance. So, West Brom should do what it takes to land Krovinovic this summer.
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