West Brom to sign Paul Scharner

Monday 30th August 2010, 11:29AM BST.

Paul Scharner
Paul Scharner

West Bromwich Albion were today poised to wrap up the signing of former Wigan star Paul Scharner on a free transfer.

The 30-year-old confirmed he has agreed to join the Baggies and the former Austria international was at Anfield yesterday to watch the battling 1-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Reports from Austria claim the utility man will sign a two-year contract worth more than £30,000-a-week, making Scharner one of the biggest earners in Baggies history if confirmed.

The reports also claim the contract will include a ‘get-out clause’ allowing Scharner to leave next summer on a free transfer – but only to one of seven specified clubs.

And Scharner, who became frustrated by being used as a centre-back by Wigan, said the chance to play in midfield had helped lure him to The Hawthorns in a deal that represents a major coup for the Baggies.

“I have got from Roberto Di Matteo, the coach, the chance to prove myself in midfield,” said the 6ft 4in player, who was linked with moves to a host of Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Sunderland following his decision to leave Wigan at the end of last season.

Di Matteo also confirmed Scharner would be Albion’s final signing of the summer transfer window if a deal is finalised.

Meanwhile, Di Matteo was today awaiting news on Roman Bednar, who picked up an injury in the warm-up at Anfield.

The head coach said: “He complained of an Achilles tendon injury.”


  1. 1
    Moxey's hair gel

    Great signing.

    For all the other relegation threatened clubs.
    :-)

    Report abuse

  2. 2
    Romsley Baggie

    If this comes off this guy is a top player. He can play in a number of positions and will be a goal threat for us from set pieces. After a slow tranfer window im really happy with the signings we have made. Well done JP credit to you and everyone at the club. I honestly believe we will stay up this season. I really believe with the squad we have now we could finish clear of the relegation zone by a decent distance. We have the best group of players we have ever had at this level and a level headed manager who knows what it takes to stay in this league. I feel really optimistic about this season.

    Come on you baggie boys!! Bring on Spurs!!

    Report abuse

  3. 3
    WV8 Wolfman

    Gud signin for ur boys

    Report abuse

  4. 4
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    great signing this, eat ya hearts out dingles yam light years behind us aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  5. 5
    Dingle Dave

    3 SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    great signing this, eat ya hearts out dingles yam light years behind us aye boing boing

    Yeah really gutted we havent tried to sign a Wigan reject. Why didnt Wigan offer him a new contract and let him leave for nowt?

    We are still unbeaton and your lot have played 3 and lost 2. Yo yo time again. is your favorite film Groundhog day?

    Report abuse

  6. 6
    Cyril Randle

    Please, no spies, but how about real Baggies who’ve moaned about just about anything and everything, coming on here now and saying ‘Well Done’ to our Three Musketeers, JP, Dan, Roberto and the back-room boys. Whatever the outcome this season and I think we’ll be OK, we’ve made and are making, a good fist of it.

    Report abuse

  7. 7
    silky

    Really pleased with this signing, plenty of prem experience and likes a tackle also..

    Report abuse

  8. 8
    stuwolf

    4. First of all grow up Terry

    Secondly to all genuine baggies unlike Terry I think you have made an excellent signing in PS. Very versatile and had good premiership experience.

    Still will be a tough season but you may have enough to stay up. personally I think Blackpool, Wigan % West Ham will go down and with an outside shot maybe Stoke unless they can bring in some more players.

    Report abuse

  9. 9
    astleistheking

    I’m happy with that as he’s a seasoned Pro with relegation scraps so from what I have seen of him previously he can roll up his sleeves and get stuck in.

    It will be interesting to see him in the midfield as I’ve always known him to play in defence or Fullback.

    Report abuse

  10. 10
    Morley Wolf

    TBH…He is a good player and i would not mind him in my 25 man squad.

    Lets the squads be annouced and battle commence.

    Report abuse

  11. 11
    Steven B

    5 & 8…..

    One, get back on your own page

    And two, your telling Terry to grow up??….

    What bout your Number 8 growing up, he’s so going to get battered and bruised at St. James Park after those stupid comments regarding Barton.

    Ans seriously, Henry couldnt lace Scharner’s boots up….FACT!!

    Over £30,000 a week, Henry probably struggles to pick up £4,000 after tax!!! NO COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO, FULL STOP!

    Report abuse

  12. 12
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    5-8 if you dont like my post dont come on here, ive heard your signing inspecter blakey COME ON GET THIS BUS OUT OF HERE,aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  13. 13
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    8, i am all grown up now, i go down the slide on my own at the wacky wharehouse,la la lalala aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  14. 14
    BaggieBoyLuke

    1. MUG

    Great signing in my opinion, the lad has a vast amount of PL experience and certainly isn’t scared to put in a good tackle.

    Looks like he will be playing a holding mid role, however the option to play him in other areas makes this a very tasty signing.

    Mulumbu had a superb game yesterday. Very impressed!

    Come on you baggie boys – this could be our season!!!!

    Report abuse

  15. 15
    simon

    Excellent signing very good player imo.

    Impressed by performance at Liverpool, deserved a draw. I thought the referee missed 3 penalties 2 for us !

    Wolves fans- you have had a decent start but you haven’t played anyone decent yet, before you start criticising the Albion lets wait and see after 15 games !

    Report abuse

  16. 16
    DorransLovesBrom

    Dingle Dave
    Didnt Wolves waste 8M on a Burnley reject,I
    garantee that crock wont play more than 10
    games for you.
    Its no surprise to us baggies that we lost to Chelsea and Liverpool but I guess
    Wolves fans would demand wins against the two
    biggest clubs in the world or we may see the
    “MOZEY AND MICK OUT” banners.

    Wigan wanted to keep Paul Scharner but he didnt want to be played in defence all the time so decided to Join Albion where his skills will be better suited for Midfeild
    along side players like Dorrans,Mulumbu,
    Morrison,Tchoyi,Brunt,Barnes,Thomas,S.Reid etc.
    I pity Wolves having Championship players
    like HENRY,JONES,MILIJAS,KIGHTLY,and JARVIS,
    the only decent players Wolves have are
    Doyle and Guedioura and `Thick Mick doesnt
    even play one of them.

    Report abuse

  17. 17
    Albion

    It’s too early to make predictions and remember, our last 2 away games have been CHELSEA and LIVERPOOL. Can the Dingles honestly say they’re going to take all the points against them away? They’re assuming they are staying up already. There’s any number of teams which could be in the fight at the end of the season.

    Report abuse

  18. 18
    JACK the HAT.

    Scharner signs for two years. Brilliant addition. 6′ 4″ tall, just the job for set pieces.

    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

    Report abuse

  19. 19
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    hes signed then,no relegated players in our first team we just a team of top internationals who will finish in the top 6 this season top 4 next, aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  20. 20
    Roscoe

    Good player to complete the 25-man squad, we won’t be doing anymore business now. RDM has strengthened in every area that most fans called for in May and some. We’ve done tremendously well considering how stagnant everything has been this window and how notoriously tight our budget is year on year. Credit to all at the club, I’m really looking forward to this season, we’ve finally got the ambition to match the team.

    Thanks to Wolves fans for the constructive comments. 5 – You’ve been led down the line by someone who can’t spell there (4). You should ignore these unprovoked quips, as the majority of Albion fans are quite ashamed of such supporters. When all is said and done we have played two teams by whom we’d expect to be beaten easily.

    Report abuse

  21. 21
    AMS

    Here we go again. We get a useful squad player in for free and you dingles seem to forget that we are trying to achieve what you did last season not what you hope to build on for this season. Hence what we see is useful for us right now may not match your current aspirations. Thank goodness for some common sense from Stu wolf.
    As for Scharner he will offer experience and a real challenge for places in the team. He will also be useful on the training pitch in bringing on the younger players. The only shame here is that the main reason Wigan didn’t keep him was the form of one Ben Watson – this of course due to his excellent spell down with us. Can’t help thinking we have got the second best player out of those two. Still he is a useful addition to our squad and cheaper.
    Anyone heard any news of the Rochdale Centre back we are allegedly trying to bring in for 600k.

    Report abuse

  22. 22
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    Its nice to see Scott as got is rightful place back as inglands no1,yow still got 3rd choice wlsh keeper dings aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  23. 23
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    8, personaly i think it will blackpool wolfs and wigan go down now weev signed there best player aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  24. 24
    The Real Bully Hoo.

    I think the interesting thing is that all of the supposed loan stars coming out of the big four, Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City don’t seem to have materialised. It seems that they have only allowed big name players to go abroad and young unproven players to go on loan in this country.

    Young and promising is not what we really need this season and because of this I think we’ve done very well in the market and they all belong to us. No messy recalls if they play well.

    Well done to all concerned at the club.

    Report abuse

  25. 25
    The Real Bully Hoo.

    When is DLB going to name his final twentyfive?

    Report abuse

  26. 26
    Cyril Randle

    25TRBH. I’m glad he does at times. I have a job remembering who we’ve got on the books with all these new signings. If we can still keep our nerve after playing all the top clubs so early, I feel we can finish half way up this season. There’s enough experience there to do just that and keep the younger players steady too. I can’t remember feeling quite so ‘content’ with the management team, the players, the club. Not for a long time anyway. Balanced, top to bottom.

    Report abuse

  27. 27
    Wbaforever

    Cyril-Bully

    As far as this latest forray into the “big league” is concerned, i too feel that we have enough to compete and survive.
    The passing of time will tell us if our confidence is misplaced or indeed not.

    I feel that our squad has a definate stronger look than in previous seasons, there does not appear to be any “makewieght” players on the bench these days, not true of earlier campaigns.

    Report abuse

  28. 28
    Baggiebob

    Good signings – I’m not going to bother responding to the bus station crew. We are Albion and that’s good enough for me …

    Report abuse

  29. 29
    Chazadawolf

    More inteligent comments there from Terry as usual, muppet!

    I think this is your best signing so far, he’s got alot of prem experience and is really going to add a bit of steel to your midfeild!!

    Report abuse

  30. 30
    Envious Wolves Fan

    A cracking signing for you lot, I would have liked him at Molyneux.

    Trusting he stays on the pitch, this guy is an excellent player and always puts in effort.

    The sort of player who makes the difference between survival and relegation.

    Report abuse

  31. 31
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    29, I LOVE YOU 2 XXX AYE BOING BOING

    Report abuse

  32. 32
    Happy_baggie

    Biggest compliment I can give Sharma is that I really hated him when we played wigan – he was their natural leader and he was ‘orrible.. always 100% commited and hard as nails – so I’m reallt pleased to see him join us.

    I can only agree with the previous comments regards our squad – it has a mix of great talent, power, a hint of nastiness and a couple of genuine goal scorers to finish things off…… hats off to all concerned !!

    Report abuse

  33. 33
    Steven B

    Sir Terry, good day!!!

    The old gold and black said they were signing Robbie Keane, end up with MARCUS BENT!!!

    Luke Moore ain’t that bad after all hahahaha aye aye BOING BOING

    Report abuse

  34. 34
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    33 hi Steve,dont think he will keep them up they look doomed now,youd have thought they wud have asked for super Kev aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  35. 35
    Cyril Randle

    Now I don’t have to worry much about the team, I shall put my hands together and kneel by Sir Terence at his bedside saying his prayers before I tuck him in and I kiss Lady Andrea goodnight. Then I shall make my own tiny prayer that the volume is turned down on the PA system from September 11th and for ever more. AMEN.
    PS: I’m buying him a new handle for the spring that winds up the Wulfies tomorrow! Aye? Boing Boing.

    Report abuse

  36. 36
    JACK the HAT.

    (1)
    MHJ,
    Good news for wolves then?.
    (8)
    Wolf stew,
    WE may have enough to stay up, but I don’t think wolves have.
    (10)
    MW,
    May the battle commence, up to yet wolves are intent on kicking everyone off the park.

    Scharner is head and shoulders above Fletcher.
    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

    Report abuse

  37. 37
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    Mickmac i thought you was after a striker aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  38. 38
    JACK the HAT.

    (37)

    Sir Terry,
    They were, but they couldn’t afford Keane so
    they went below the bargain basement. What a come-down for the dingles. You couldn’t make it up.

    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

    Report abuse

  39. 39
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    Uncle Cyril thank you for my story last nite about the big bad wolf and them signing a 15 million pound striker,wish i lived in never never land,can i have my cocoa pops please,aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  40. 40
    Cyril Randle

    Terence dear boy, you’ve been so good I’ve got you Red Riding Hood as your new sleep-in nurse ! Isn’t that nice?

    Report abuse



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