Lewis Cox and Jonny Drury talk Iling-Junior, West Brom spending and deadline day

4 months ago

Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox bring you the latest on West Brom's transfer deadline day.
They discuss the move for Samuel Iling-Junior who will replace Tom Fellows - and a move for left back cover.
They also discuss Albion's business, the investment and the work Albion have done in recent weeks in the transfer market.

Transcript

00:00For transfer deadline day, my name is Johnny Dree, I'm here with Lewis Cox as Albion look

00:14to wrap up their transfer business after what has been another impressive, impressive summer

00:22for Bilkel and Sporting Director Andrew Nesta.

00:24I'll be bringing a number of new players, moving players out, sorting out the PSR issue

00:30and it has been a busy summer, busy last few days as the likes of Darnell Furlong, Caleb

00:38Taylor and of course Tom Fellows has departed the football club.

00:44Lewis brought you a state of play earlier today, Albion looking at a left-back cover and they've

00:49also struck a deal for Samuel Illing Jr. from Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season.

00:56We will come in as a Tom Fellows replacement proxy.

00:58We're going to be bringing updates later in the day.

01:02The news that Illing Jr. will be the replacement for Fellows is probably the headline.

01:07A lot of fans have had a little bit of a meltdown over that.

01:10I know there's been a lot of reasons given for it.

01:12For me, I think it's a very good sign-in for Albion.

01:16Obviously, he's not a like-for-like chalk on the boots, beat-your-winger, right-winger

01:20that Fellows kind of was.

01:22It was always going to be difficult to maybe replace, as we say, like-for-like, but he is

01:26another winger coming in.

01:28Albion will probably have to change things up, play a little bit differently, whether

01:32it's Mikey Johnson on the right or Illing Jr. on the right cutting in on his left foot.

01:37We do not know, but for me, looking at the squad and the comparisons of who's gone and

01:42who's stayed, you know, yeah, everyone wants to have more sign-ins in, but I think Albion's

01:48business has been good, and I think the way they've reacted to the Fellow sale has been

01:52pretty proactive as well.

01:54Yeah, yeah, or Jed Wallace, Johnny, on the right, as we know, you know, natural winger.

01:58I know that doesn't, you know, that might not send sort of excitement and buzz through

02:04a few, but you've just mentioned two options there.

02:06And Wallace, of course, is another star at the club and has been involved already this

02:10season, hasn't he?

02:12Yeah, look, when Illing Jr.'s name emerged, yeah, he's sort of, I think he's known as

02:20a left winger, isn't he?

02:21Left foot, left winger.

02:23I think you summed it up perfectly there.

02:25Also capable of playing wing-back and playing left-back, as we noted.

02:29Now, we know Albion are and were short at left-back.

02:32However, as we've reported today, Albion are also in for a left-back.

02:36Today, on deadline day, before the 7pm cut-off point, we aren't sure.

02:41We don't know yet the identity of the left-back, whether it'll be a loan or a permanent.

02:45There'll be irons in the fire.

02:46There'll be options.

02:47I know I've seen rumours of the likes of an experienced statesman like a Charlie Taylor

02:52mentioned.

02:53Something like that wouldn't be on the realms, I don't think.

02:55But going back to Illing Jr., I think, look, the fellow's exit and him being such a star

03:02player, a right winger, as you say, chalk on the boots.

03:05Illing Jr. is a different winger.

03:06You put it perfectly.

03:07More used to playing on the left.

03:10It's the foot he is.

03:12It's his more natural side.

03:13But as has been put to me, and as I think you can evidently see from clips and reading

03:18online, there's no reason why Sammy Illing Jr. won't become a viable option for Albin on

03:22the right.

03:23How often do we...

03:24I think you said it to me earlier, Johnny, in a private conversation.

03:27How often do we see wingers play on their more unnatural-footed side?

03:31Mikey Johnson always on the left, cutting on his right.

03:34Ditto, Carl and Grant.

03:36It's not unusual, is it?

03:37And yes, it's not a like-for-like, chalk on the boots, natural right-sided player.

03:43But I think, as has been evident in all of Albin's business, under Bilko throughout, really,

03:49certainly since January, it's not always like-for-like.

03:54There's a lot of stock in sort of versatility.

03:56I wrote that this morning.

03:58Players that can do several roles.

04:00Illing Jr. is clearly one of those.

04:02Because, look, you said to me, I almost feel a bit sorry for him today because he's sort

04:07of been discarded by a few already.

04:10And, you know, this is a talented lad.

04:11I know he hasn't played a senior game for Villa yet.

04:14Illing Jr., the England Under-21 international.

04:17In fact, Johnny, you're better placed than most, sorry, to comment on him.

04:22I know you saw him at the Hawthorns, didn't you, in that England Under-21s game in March,

04:26where England beat Portugal.

04:27And, by all accounts, he was quite lively that day, keeping Tom Fellows out of the England

04:32Under-21 side, we may note as well.

04:35This is a guy that, by the end of his teens, played almost 50 games for Juventus, by the

04:40way.

04:41You know, it's not bad, is it?

04:43Yes, hasn't featured for Villa yet and isn't on their sort of first-team radar.

04:48But, you know, has to go and forge a career for himself, doesn't he, Ling Jr.?

04:52He had a fair loan at Blanya, I think, by all accounts.

04:55A pretty strong one.

04:56And then did well for Borough.

04:57Okay, I've seen a lot saying, you know, he had to come in as a bit of an emergency left-back

05:01and did well.

05:02Points to his versatility.

05:03But, look, from clips, from evidence of seeing and heard and read, he can play in positions

05:08out wide, both.

05:10Which provides more of an option for Ryan Mason, doesn't it?

05:13I take the point and the concern about Fellows leaving.

05:16I do, but I think the argument that he's not been replaced indirect or directly, and more

05:24so that Albin and Bilkel haven't reinvested, is a bit totally.

05:30In the piece I wrote earlier, Johnny, you know, I pointed out that eight players have been signed

05:36for fees since January.

05:38You know, some great fees.

05:39We're talking about Chris Meffam and Alfie Gilchrist.

05:42Nat Phillips, such modest fees, really, around the £1 million mark.

05:46You know, really, really impressive pickups, I think, from the financial perspective.

05:50But some buyers, Johnny, haven't been as cheap, have they?

05:53Hegebert, best part of £5 million.

05:56Isaac Price, two and a half.

05:58We know what he's worth now.

05:59But Tamar Bani, north of £3 million.

06:02So, investment has been made.

06:04I mentioned Price and Bani there, January signings, were very much made.

06:08And we knew this at the time as well, with the summer in mind, with in mind that Tom

06:13Fellows could very much well be off fair.

06:15So, you add up all of those fees, and I know Albin have brought in, you know, real good

06:21figures in terms of sales, but you add up what has been reinvested, and it is substantial

06:26compared to where the club have been, what they've been spending in recent summers prior

06:30to Bilko.

06:31And let's remember, too, where the club were 18 months ago before they were saved, ultimately,

06:36you know, on the brink of administration.

06:38You know, hemorrhaging money, being footed by Chilin Patel, obviously, after the takeover.

06:44Obviously, surviving by leaning on loans from a third party, MSD, and having to repay those.

06:50So, you know, I don't think we should...

06:53It's hard, isn't it?

06:54I'm not telling any fan what to do or think.

06:56But to get hung up on not, you know, reinvesting enough from a financial perspective feels

07:02a little bit...

07:03I'm not sure about that, personally.

07:05When money has been reinvested, like I say, on eight players, and this is now...

07:11Illing Junior, I think, would be the eighth sign in the summer, yeah, as you say.

07:16And we expect a left-back through the door to make it nine.

07:18To be honest, more additions than I expected this summer, really.

07:22Kind of wrote previously that it was more evolution than revolution.

07:25But nine is not an insignificant number, is it?

07:28Now, I know, look, a lot of late exits, certainly last week, as I was away on my jollies.

07:33You were so perfectly covered, Johnny, with the likes of fellows and more, obviously, with

07:40Dino Furlong, Caleb Taylor.

07:41So, there's work to do, clearly, in those departments.

07:44But I think in the names I've mentioned already, Mepham, you know, Gilchrist, good, good replacements.

07:51You're younger, but more experience with Mepham, really good pickups, I think, value-wise.

07:56Because I get the attacking thing, I do.

07:59But ultimately, you know, as far as I understand, Albion are confident, content with the kind

08:04of six or seven bodies they will have for those left, number 10, right positions.

08:10They're content with them.

08:11They're confident in them.

08:12Ryan Mason's confident in them.

08:13They feel there's two for every sort of position.

08:16They feel they can lean on and use the versatility.

08:18And ultimately, they feel enough is there.

08:20So, that's how Albion feel.

08:23That's how it's going to go.

08:24You know, we expect Ealing Jr. announcements to come imminently at the time of recording.

08:29The left-back one, we'll have to wait and see how that goes.

08:31Interesting one.

08:32How, you know, will he come in and be sort of ahead of Callum Starrs in the pecking order?

08:36Let's see.

08:37We'll see how it goes.

08:38But yeah, Albion feel they're in a confident position and good for them.

08:43It's, you know, they've worked hard on it.

08:45And yeah, it will be – the proof will, of course, always be in the pudding, Johnny.

08:50You know, in terms of Wallace on the right, Johnson on the right, Ealing Jr. on the right.

08:54We'll have a considered assessment in a month, two months' time, won't we?

08:59But Albion feel good, feel confident in what they've done with this squad and feel it's in a strong place.

Lewis Cox and Jonny Drury talk Iling-Junior, West Brom spending and deadline day

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