West Brom in advanced talks to appoint Raphael Wicky as next manager

West Brom in advanced talks to appoint Raphael Wicky as next manager

Swiss coach expected to replace Carlos Corberán after Spaniard’s shock exit on Christmas Eve

 

West Bromwich Albion are in advanced talks with Raphaël Wicky as they edge closer to naming their new head coach.

 

Wicky, the former Young Boys and Basel manager, has emerged as West Brom’s preferred choice after impressing the Championship club in talks this week in London.

 

A former Switzerland international, Wicky is a free agent after leaving Young Boys in March last year despite leading them to the domestic Swiss double in the 2022-23 season.

 

Wicky, 47, is understood to have held detailed discussions with West Brom’s board in meetings this week and an appointment is thought to be close.

 

West Brom are seeking a new head coach after the departure of Carlos Corberán to Valencia was agreed on Christmas Eve.

 

Carlos Corberan left West Brom after 26 months to take charge of Valencia, La Liga’s 19th-placed side Credit

With the club’s sporting director Andrew Nestor leading the recruitment process and relying heavily on data and analytics, Wicky would fit the profile for the Albion board.

Like Corberán, Wicky is renowned as a coach first and foremost who can work in a modern football club structure.

 

During his spell with Young Boys, he helped develop a number of players who were sold for a significant profit including Fabian Rieder (£12.5 million to Rennes) and Aurèle Amenda (£7.5 million to Eintracht Frankfurt).

 

Since Corberán’s surprise exit last month, West Brom have lost only one of their four matches under caretaker Chris Brunt and are currently sixth in the Championship table.

 

Corberán’s successor will be the first managerial appointment for Albion’s chairman Shilen Patel, who completed his takeover at the Hawthorns in February last year.

 

Wicky is thought to have moved ahead of Liverpool first-team coach John Heitinga and former Manchester United coach Rene Hake.

 

In a recent post on his X account, Patel wrote: “I can’t say enough about how the entire club has shown up during an intense and trying festive period.

 

“The professionalism, resilience, and endurance shown by our players, coaches, employees at all levels speaks to the love and respect that they have for @‌WBA and our fans.”

 

West Brom return to action on Saturday with a trip to face Premier League club Bournemouth in the FA Cup. They do not return to Championship duty until the visit of Stoke City on Jan 18.

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