‘Set for medical’ – West Brom accept shock £5m bid from Premier League club
Alex Palmer, West Brom’s goalie, is expected to leave as Ipswich Town makes an unexpected deadline-day bid.
On deadline day, West Brom will take a serious hit when it is announced that Alex Palmer, their first-choice goalkeeper, will have a medical before joining Premier League team Ipswich Town for £5 million.
Lewis Cox of the Express & Star reports that Palmer, who has made more than 100 appearances for the Baggies and been their first-choice goalkeeper for the last two years, is leaving for Portman Road today in preparation for a move.
Palmer, 28, has 18 months remaining on his Hawthorns contract, and the Baggies have chosen to make a move to cash in on a player who might have left for nothing in the future.
Palmer will now face Christian Walton and Aro Muric for the Ipswich goalkeeper’s jersey as they fight to stay in the Championship.
In response, Josh Griffiths, a 23-year-old goalkeeper from Bristol Rovers’ loan, is anticipated to be called up by West Brom.
Whether the Baggies will try to sign a new goalkeeper before the transfer deadline at 11 p.m. is still up in the air.
With West Brom in a play-off spot in the Championship table and aiming to return to the top flight, it was surprising to learn that Palmer would be joining Ipswich.
During the transfer window, there had been few indications that Palmer was likely to leave the Hawthorns.
Palmer, who has played every minute of every league game this season, has represented England at the Under-16 level.
Due to his departure, backup Joe Wildsmith, who joined on a free transfer from Derby County in the summer, will take his place until Griffiths, who has been Bristol Rovers’ first choice during their League One relegation struggle this season, returns.
Ipswich had been having trouble in goal this season, and Muric had made a number of well-publicized mistakes before being replaced by Walton, a former Brighton goalie.
Although transfer reporter Ben Jacobs claims on X that the deal is only worth £2 million, it is still unclear how the reported £5 million fee for Palmer will be structured.
A quiet deadline day comes alive.
Given that the only significant moves made by new manager Tony Mowbray were the reported £2.5 million arrival of Standard Liege and Northern Ireland midfielder Isaac Price and the loan signing of Tottenham Hotspur’s Will Lankshear, it was anticipated that West Brom would have a quiet deadline day.
Even though Griffiths is highly regarded by the team, a goalkeeper may now be a top priority, and the Baggies may decide against adding a new gloveman to the roster.
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