West Bromwich Albion could be set to land Carlos Corberan his dream first signing…

What’s the latest?

As per journalist Alan Nixon, speaking on his Patreon, the Baggies are keen on reuniting their Spanish boss with Jon Russell.

The Huddersfield Town midfielder has a contract that expires in the coming summer, lending to Lai Guochuan’s interest in landing a “bargain deal”.

Nixon continues in his report that there is hope that a “sensible fee will land the Jamaican next month”.

Dream deal

With Corberan having masterminded a turnaround in form before the World Cup-enforced break, it seems he is set to be rewarded with some purchases of his own this January.

Steve Bruce was somewhat hamstrung by the financial issues that plagued the Midlands outfit, affording him just £1.1m for summer deals.

Although he did secure some admirable transfers, the performances of his team were deemed unforgivable.

In Russell however, they could finally gain the perfect player to knit the squad together, adding a hulking presence to the engine room.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the 22-year-old joined the Terriers on a free contract in the summer of 2021 after a 13-year stint at Chelsea where he would play just 51 times across various youth teams.

What seemed to be a career somewhat stagnating, he was held in high regard by his former assistant coach Danny Schofield, who dubbed him a “special talent” who boasts a “real ability with the ball”, whilst also being “very composed in central areas”.

Adding stability that nearly led his side to promotion last season could be exactly what Corberan needs to mastermind a similar push with his new club, who will demand a return to the Premier League as soon as possible.

During that campaign, Russell averaged a 7.03 rating in what was only his second full season in senior football.

Boasting an 87% pass accuracy, he would prove an all-around star in the midfield as he would pair 1.0 shots per game with 1.3 interceptions, 1.4 tackles and 1.0 clearances, via Sofascore.

Although he and his 39-year-old boss fell short in the Championship playoffs, they could exorcise these demons should they reunite at the Hawthorns in a dream deal.