‘Impossible’ for West Brom to work deals after deadline

Clubs can still sign free transfers, those not attached to another club, after the deadline, as Albion did with Erik Pieters and Tom Rogic last season. But Corberan, who is preparing his side to host Middlesbrough tomorrow, revealed financial restraints at The Hawthorns will not permit such this time around.

“The possibilities of the club were totally different to the possibilities right now,” Corberan said of 12 months ago. He added of free agents after the deadline: “Last year was Rogic and Pieters... I don’t think this is now possible for us.”

“The adaptability is still there, we knew the summer would be a challenging one, the people working in the market for the club is putting a lot of effort to make things possible to cover the needs but not everything depends on that,” the head coach continued.

“We know our market was loans or free players, this summer we couldn’t make a different market.

“It’s free or loans with certain financial possibilities, not every free player was available for us, not every loan player was available for us. Last year the club achieved some important, free players in clever moments, this year it’s different.”

Albion, meanwhile, have signed under-21s trialist striker Ruben Shakpoke to Richard Beale’s youth ranks following a successful spell.

Academy boss Richard Stevens said: “What we want to be is the club which gives him the chance to make up on the time he’s missed through injury, and see if we can find those levels and be the player which the footballing world recognised from a few years ago.”