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After West Brom finally appointed a new manager in Slaven Bilic last week, it’ll be hugely intriguing to see who benefits most from his appointment.
A large amount of transfer business could be conducted after various contracts and loans expired whilst as many as five remaining players could also leave the club.
With that in mind, a huge rebuild may be in order for Bilic who brought in ten new faces during his first transfer window at West Ham.
He performed major surgery on the side and a similar method of approach may have to be taken at his new employers.
But of the current crop already at Albion, who can benefit most from a change of management and Albion’s summer rebuild?
Oliver Burke
Burke is a player who has been cast into the shadows at West Brom. Signed for £15m, he’s certainly not lived up to expectation, scoring just once.
His football has been poor and not even a loan spell with Celtic could rejuvenate his career. He scored four goals when Brendan Rodgers was still there but his form took a turn for the worse after he left.
With Jay Rodriguez potentially leaving and Dwight Gayle not returning, he may find himself thrust into a role up front, one he became used to playing in at Celtic.
Bilic has dealt with players who have similar qualities at West Ham so his appointment could be game-changing for Burke.
Kyle Bartley
A man who has previously captained the Baggies, Bartley is someone who wasn’t short of criticism last season.
Yet, under Bilic, it could represent a turning point in the ex-Arsenal academy graduate’s career.
His performances in 2018/19 were hugely inconsistent but as Craig Dawson is eyed up by Watford and Burnley, this could be the perfect opportunity for him to stake a claim for a regular spot in the side.
At present, he won’t have too many players to fend off but West Brom have shown an interest in Reece Oxford and Liam Lindsay.
A strong pre-season, however, and Bartley could soon find himself a key figure under the Croatian next term.
Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…
Conor Townsend
Like Bartley, Townsend wasn’t entirely convincing last term.
Kieran Gibbs was by far the best left-back at the club but during his spell on the sidelines, the former Scunthorpe defender did little to convince he should be starting.
A mistake against Bristol City back in April summed up his inconsistent term, but he is a player who has the potential to finally show what he’s made of next season under a passionate and forward-thinking coach like Bilic.
Gibbs is one of the club’s highest earners on £55k a week. However, considering the club are looking to reduce their wage bill, there are reasons to suggest he may leave, especially after attracting the interest of Newcastle and Fenerbahce.
As a result, Townsend could benefit from both a new manager arriving and Gibbs also possibly departing.
