West Brom forward Peter Odemwingie in Cardiff talks Peter Odemwingie’s protracted exit from The Hawthorns was edging closer to completion today as he travelled to Cardiff for talks and a medical. The Baggies are hoping to sell the Nigeria international before tonight’s 11pm transfer deadline and were this afternoon close to agreeing a fee with City as Albion hold out for as close to their £4m valuation as possible. Should they be unable to offload the 32-year-old it would leave head coach Steve Clarke with the unwanted task of reintegrating Odemwingie back into the first-team squad after he was frozen out at the start of pre-season. The club’s leading Premier League goalscorer has been exiled from the first-team dressing room and made to train alone since July following his highly-publicised fall-out with the Hawthorns hierarchy in January when he dramatically failed to engineer a move to QPR on the last deadline day. Cardiff’s opening offer was £2m with Swansea and Stoke having similar bids rejected. Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace have also expressed an interest with the Cottagers and the Hammers having £1.5m offers knocked back earlier in the summer. Odemwingie wants to leave but sources close to the player insist he will not move unless the deal suits him. He believes Albion’s asking price is unrealistic and has priced him out of attractive moves in the past. Meanwhile, Palace has emerged as a potential destination for Albion centre-back Gabriel Tamas, who is surplus to requirements at The Hawthorns and has been told he can find a new club. The Londoners have expressed an interest in the Romania international but Tamas is happy at The Hawthorns and could decide to stay and fight for a place in Clarke’s first-team squad. He is currently behind Gareth McAuley, Jonas Olsson, Diego Lugano and Craig Dawson in the pecking order at centre-back. Albion were continuing their hunt for goalkeeping reinforcements today but could opt to raid the free agents market after the window closes. Former Everton and Stoke gloveman Steve Simonsen, currently on trial at Rangers, and ex-Derby and Nottingham Forest keeper Lee Camp could both sign outside the transfer window. Albion need a keeper with No.1 Ben Foster ruled out for 12 weeks with a broken bone in his foot, sustained in last week’s goalless draw at Everton.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 13:05:38 +0000
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