West Bromwich Albion are confident of signing the defensive midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak from Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan.
The Poland international was coveted by some of the top clubs in Europe before his €30m transfer last summer from Sevilla to PSG, but he has struggled to make an impression in France and Albion have capitalised on his availability by making a move for the 27-year-old.
Although the deal has not been finalised, talks between all parties have been very encouraging and Albion are close to being able to complete one of the more unlikely transfers of the summer.
Krychowiak, who was impressive for Poland at the European Championship finals last summer, signed a five-year contract with PSG only 13 months ago after helping Sevilla win the Europa League twice.
After enhancing his reputation in Spain Krychowiak followed Unai Emery, the former Sevilla coach, to PSG but the player had a disappointing 2016-17 season. He regularly found himself out of the team and was not helped by Emery’s decision to set his side up in a 4-3-3 formation that made it difficult to accommodate the Pole.
If, as expected, Krychowiak agrees a move to The Hawthorns, it would underpin the club’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season after wins against Bournemouth and Burnley and a draw with Stoke City.
Albion’s summer transfer business will not end there in what promises to be a busy final 48 hours for the club. Having agreed a fee in the region of £7m with Arsenal for Kieran Gibbs, whose proposed move to Watford fell through over personal terms, Albion are still in the market for another striker and, depending on whether Jonny Evans moves to Manchester City, keen to sign a central defender.