Nakamba heading to West Brom?

Zim Now Writer

West Brom are looking into a potential deal for Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba with their hunt for a new face in that department of their squad about to come to a head on transfer deadline day.

Nakamba, 29, is free to leave Villa this month and his agent has already confirmed that he is working on a switch on January 31 - that could lead him to making the short journey across the West Midlands to Albion, where Carlos Corberan has prioritised a midfielder.

Nottingham Forest star Lewis O'Brien was targeted for a Corberan reunion, but it’s not a move which is financially viable for Albion in their currently precarious off-field situation and, with him likely to move to rivals Sheffield United, the Baggies are looking elsewhere. That has led them to considering a move for Nakamba.

The Zimbabwe international joined Villa for £11 million in the summer of 2019 after they’d secured promotion back to the Premier League, and he was making a big impression under Steven Gerrard last season, before he was struck down by injury and that derailed his progress. Nakamba hasn’t played in the top-flight for Villa at all this season.

Nakamba has, in all, played 68 matches for Villa in three and a half years for Villa, the last of them coming on the final day of last season when Manchester City came from behind at the Etihad Stadium to beat Villa and clinch the Premier League title. After the managerial switch in October at Villa Park, Unai Emery has continued to favour Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey, John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara and recently confirmed that Nakamba is free to leave.

“Nakamba, I spoke with him, and the idea is to leave and to take minutes in another team,” he added. “He has to try and get back to his performance that he did here last year and two years ago, but now he doesn’t have space in the squad, and he can’t wait, to stay here. He knows, and as well other players could leave.”

Speaking of his client’s future at Villa ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, Nakamba’s agent David Manasseh said: “I’m working on it, I’m sure by tomorrow we will have a result.”

While Nakamba has found regular minutes hard to come by, pretty much ever since he joined the club, Gerrard was very complimentary of his efforts and performances shortly after he replaced Dean Smith as the club’s boss.