Florida-based entrepreneur speaks exclusively to Telegraph Sport in his first national newspaper interview since taking the Championship club.
West Bromwich Albion have recovered from one of its most difficult periods in recent history, and new owner Shilen Patel want to return to the Premier League.
Albion, a founding member of the Football League, is looking forward to a bright future thanks to Patel’s financial support, care, and dedication.
Since the Florida-based entrepreneur took over the company for £60 million in February, ending the stormy reign of former owner Guochuan Lai, there has been a noticeable shift in tone.
This is his first national newspaper interview since his arrival, and after an hour, it’s evident that this famed old club has gotten under his skin.
“It’s certainly changed my life,” he adds, beaming as he sits in the Allen Suite at the Hawthorne.
“I’ve wanted to play in English football for almost two decades. Not simply in any way conceivable; it had to be the correct club at the right time.
“Now that I’m here, it would mean everything to get this club back to the Premier League. It is the major goal we have.
“I just feel like the Premier League is home for this club – but we have to earn it.”
Patel, 44, rapidly emerged as the club’s favoured bidder after negotiations began in September, and the restoration process is well underway.
West Brom are fourth in the Championship, with highly rated head coach Carlos Corberan now free to grow and cultivate a group that shares his vision.
“We know this club can sustain in the Premier League,” Patel says. “We see clubs our size or smaller that have developed winning ways to stay and prosper.
“This was always a really special opportunity and to have this type of club available doesn’t happen all the time.”
Before focussing on Albion’s new chapter, it may be useful to reflect on the previous three turbulent years.
West Brom were on the verge of financial ruin after being relegated from the Premier League in 2021, and Lai refused to invest.
When the parachute payments expired last year, the possibility of administration, player fire sales, and staff downsizing arose.
The debts taken from American investment firm MSD to ensure cash flow, totalling £28 million, were a severe worry.
While Corberan kept the squad competitive on the pitch, the leadership of managing director Mark Miles and other senior staff was critical in ensuring stability.
Even today, Patel will have to repay the MSD loan as well as a separate historical £3.7 million loan taken out in 2014 by Jeremy Peace, another former chairman.
“I came here searching for red flags and expecting to find several, because there always are in deals like this,” Patel tells me.
“What we discovered was that the risks we were aware of were the ones we needed to address.
“With all of the upheaval at the club, the turnover, and the various issues, it didn’t really have the opportunity to prepare beyond the next few months.
“That is how clubs like these lose the ground they’ve gained during years of efficient organisation, success in player acquisition, and competition.
“The main thing it needed was to stick to a long-term plan, and beyond this season.”
‘You walk around and see history’
Patel’s resolve to purchase the club never wavered. A multi-millionaire, he describes a visit to the Hawthorns and the club’s training ground in late October as key in the takeover process.
Andrew Nestor, a long-term business partner, now serves as the club’s sporting director.
“We were so impressed walking around the stadium,” Patel says. “To say the Hawthorns is nearly 125 years old is really something; we have a few stadiums in the United States that are over a century old and, let’s just say, they show their age.
“Walking around here, you can see history, love, and passion. It made a strong impression on us, and we understood we needed to close the deal.”
Patel’s investment has already been enormous. Around £1 million was spent on a new elite pitch at the club’s training base, while 11 new players joined throughout the summer.
Torbjorn Heggem, a £500,000 transfer from IF Brommapojkarna, became the club’s first cash acquisition since Daryl Dike on New Year’s Day 2022.
Corberan’s No. 1 target, Celtic winger Mikey Johnston, who impressed on loan last season, signed for £3 million after turning down Burnley and Sheffield United.
Albion also reduced their salary bill by selling Brandon Thomas-Asante (to Coventry for £2.5 million), Okay Yokuslu (Trabzonspor for £1.5 million), and Conor Townsend (Ipswich for £750,000). High-earners such as Matt Phillips, Cedric Kipre, and Nathaniel Chalobah left as free agents.
Nestor reveals that statistics from their transfer business suggested West Brom would be six points better off with 20% less money in spending.
“We had a number of expiring contracts, so there was always going to be a lot of turnover, but it allowed us to bring in players who fit Carlos’s game model,” adds Nestor, who previously helped Serie A team Bologna come to prominence.
“We identified a few key areas where we could improve to become a more offensive threat.
“You can’t do everything in one window, but we felt like we were able to start our long-term process of building the squad the right way.”
In another positive development from the transfer window, Albion turned down a £10 million bid from Southampton for England under-21 international Tom Fellows.
Ipswich has also indicated an interest, and Patel admits the West Brom of recent years would have been under pressure to sell.
However, the success story of local lad Fellows is a source of great pride for the new owners, and they believe it will inspire others.
Rival teams have attracted away players such as Morgan Rogers, Tim Iroegbunam, and Nathan Ferguson in recent years. Patel wants this to change.
“It’s really exciting that this club has a Category One academy that is well regarded,” says the coach. “We consider this as a crucial aspect of the club’s growth and sustainability.
“We want more children to grow up in this neighbourhood and follow Tom’s footsteps. We want the academy to be a place where they believe it can happen.
“There is something remarkable about such stories. We see several additional young players who we believe will be able to aid the team very soon.”
The right side of the rules
Albion also plans to use statistics and analytics to create a system for spotting young talent with great potential from around the world.
The idea is to find unpolished jewels and sell them for a large profit, with the Football League’s Profit & Sustainability [P&S] criteria causing anxiety for the majority of Championship clubs.
Those rules are a common topic of dispute, with Albion being one of several who support the Squad Cost Rules, which allow teams to spend 85 percent of their revenue on transfers and wages. A resolution is expected before Christmas.
“The shortcomings and holes in the system is a growing conversation,” Patel tells me.
“Everybody is expected to follow the same rules, and we realise that. Having a P&S plan was an important element of our initial procedure.
“We didn’t want our hard work in upgrading the squad and making us more competitive to be undone by unnecessary penalties.
“We are very focused on being on the right side of the rules.
“It’s not been easy, but navigating P&S, certainly for this year, is one of the competitive skills that every club has to develop.”
Patel claims that the two outstanding loans would be addressed soon.
“We don’t intend to keep them in place indefinitely. We’re strategising on the best method to handle it.
“We also have clarity on the 2014 loan and, as with the MSD loan, we’ll be looking at the right time to address that.”
Patel, previously the founder and CEO of HealthAxis Group, a Tampa-based software firm, collaborated closely with his father, Dr Kiran, to finalise the buyout.
Patel, a father of three children, grew up with strong family values, which added to his interest in purchasing West Brom.
Last weekend’s tragedy at Sheffield Wednesday highlighted the club’s communal spirit, as fan Mark Townsend passed away during the match.
Townsend, 57, was a season ticket holder, and in the 57th minute of Tuesday’s home game against Middlesbrough, all four corners of the Hawthorns erupted in ovation. Miles also visited Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital on Saturday to care for his family.
“It’s always meaningful to see the West Brom family spring into action in a difficult time,” Patel says.
“There was a reaction and outpouring of solidarity from the fan community, both locally and globally.
“Even inside this building, the first conversations were ‘what do we do?'” How can we honour and honour a member of our family? The game became secondary as soon as this happened.
“Around the club and the community there is just this desire to be there for one another.”
Patel will be in attendance for Saturday’s home game against Millwall before heading back to the United States early next week.
Despite having several other enterprises to focus on, West Brom will never be distant from his mind.
“In these early days, I believe it is critical to be involved in what is happening. “It’s about knowing that things will fall into place over time,” he explains.
“I’ve visited England nine times since February. It has been a fantastic journey for the family.
“My children truly enjoyed the event. My wife has also been quite supportive, and she has had the opportunity to come here and see what it means to the fans and the community.
“One thing I’ve learnt very quickly is that I’ve given up predicting results in the Championship!”
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