Premier League boss blocks potential West Brom move

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl refused to let Shane Long join West Bromwich Albion on loan this month, according to The Athletic.

Albion looked to have solved their striking issue by bringing in highly-rated American Daryl Dike at the start of the month but he’s been ruled out for up to two months with an injury, leaving them scrambling to find a replacement before the window closes.

Andy Carroll is understood to be having a medical with the Baggies ahead of a move to the club until the end of the 2021/22 campaign but it seems other options have been considered.

The Athletic has revealed that Albion were keen on bringing Long back to the club on loan but Hasenhuttl refused to let the forward leave St Mary’s this month.

The 35-year-old has played just over 200 minutes of first-team football this season and spent the second half of the 2020/21 campaign on loan with Championship side Bournemouth.

Long has history at The Hawthorns having scored 22 goals in 87 appearances for Albion between 2011 and 2014.

The Verdict

It seems now that Carroll is set to link up with the Baggies to fill the void left by Dike’s injury but Long could have been an interesting option.

Though 35 now, his smart running and energy make him a real nuisance for opposition defenders and he could have been a good fit under Valerien Ismael.

He would’ve been a different option entirely from Carroll and it may well be that the West Midlands club were considering adding both players.

It seems, however, that the reunion with the Irishman will not happen as Hasenhuttl is determined to keep him at Southampton for the rest of the season – an understandable decision given how important squad depth looks to be this term.

Source