Ever since Slaven Bilić became Albion’s Head Coach there has been speculation surrounding the type of player he could attract to The Hawthorns.
Fans were cautiously optimistic that he could lean on his vast footballing contacts across Europe in order to secure the signatures of bigger names and more promising talent than the Baggies had been accustomed to under the likes of Pulis and Moore.
So when Bilić made his first signing — a creative, Croatian technician from Benfica called Filip Krovinović — fans could’ve been forgiven for expecting more Croatian talent to arrive in B71 that summer.
Besides, Bilić remains one of Croatia’s biggest footballing names, guiding their national side for six years after making 44 caps as a player.
It seems a smart strategy from Bilić to focus on Croatian talent, as their domestic players are available for far less than most other leagues and it’s hardly surprising that in his first three transfer windows as West Brom boss, we have seen an abundance of Croatian names linked with a move to The Hawthorns.
With the Premier League looming, fans are desperate to see additions to the squad and on a tighter budget than many would like, it could take Bilić’s reputation and footballing relationships within Croatia to bolster the squad and hopefully beat the drop come the Spring of 2021.
Whilst Albion fans shouldn’t expect Modrić and Rakitić to don the club’s new barcode-striped jersey next season, there are still plenty of talented, experienced and realistic Croatian players that Albion have been reportedly keen on.
Here are five of those Croatian names that Baggies fans could be cheering on next season…
WBA Report 