West Brom face losing £900k star for free as Europa League club plot double transfer swoop

West Brom are at danger of losing two players to Turkish side Trabzonspor this summer, according to a report.

Turkish outlet Sabah is reporting that centre-back Cedric Kipre is in ‘advanced’ talks with Trabzonspor ahead of a possible move. He is out of contract this summer and despite the Baggies holding their own talks to sign him to a new contract, a departure from the Hawthorns now looks likely.

The 27-year-old has been at West Brom for the last four years after after joining from Wigan Athletic for a reported £900,000. He spent the first six months struggling to break in to the team before being sent out on loan to Belgian side Charleroi.

Kipre managed to get some games under his belt in 2021/22 and then enjoyed a successful loan spell with Cardiff City in 2022/23. He along with Alex Mowatt returned to the club and became a key players this season with the centre-back missing just two league games.

With Kipre’s departure likely, centre-back will be an area that West Brom will need to strengthen in. Carlos Corberan sometimes opts to play with three centre-backs and Erik Pieters has departed. Kyle Bartley like Kipre has been offered a new deal but his decision has yet to be announced.

Trabzonspor aren’t just interested in Kipre, they also want to sign Turkish midfielder Okay Yokuslu. Fortunately journalist Hakan Yologlu has reported that Yokuslu rejected the chance to sign for Trabzonspor at the end of May. Turkish outlets are reporting that Trabzonspor’s representatives have held meetings with Yokuslu’s representatives last summer and in January.

The 30-year-old has been called up to represent Turkey at EURO 2024 and is under contract until the summer of 2025. Yokuslu played a total of 48 times last season with one goal and one assist, forging a strong partnership with Mowatt.