After thinking about buying a club for more than 20 years, Shilen Patel claims that West Brom is the “perfect fit” for him.
The American stated to Tampa Bay Business and Wealth magazine on February 27 that he feels The Hawthorns already has “most” of what is needed to return to the top division, and that his upcoming takeover of the team is the result of a thorough examination.
Patel was scheduled to purchase Guochuan Lai’s shares shortly, but the complications of coordinating three different time zones have caused the deal to be postponed after he attended his first game, which saw the Baggies defeated by Southampton.
“The seed had been planted for quite a while,” stated Patel. It’s something I’ve been considering for over twenty years. I’ve been assessing options with varying degrees of interest all across the world, and West Brom seems a fantastic fit.
This presents a chance. This team has most of the necessary components to go back to the Premier League, where it has spent the majority of the previous 20 years.
West Brom has ‘most’ of what it needs to return to the Premier League claims Shilen Patel
Patel may be correct, as evidenced by Carlos Corberan’s ability to maintain the Albion in the middle of the play-off race in spite of insurmountable obstacles, having only narrowly missed a spot the previous season.
Many would expect that the Spaniard may even surpass the amazing work he has already accomplished with the right investment and stability around him.
Even when Patel takes over, there are still concerns that players would be forced to quit because of an unaffordable salary, but having long-term financial certainty will be extremely beneficial.
It would truly be the start of a new chapter for the team as they return to the top level under new ownership if they can force their way back to the Premier League this season as now.
The club’s recent success under Corberan and the fans’ mobilisation during the difficult times undoubtedly influenced the new owner’s decision that it was the right move. All parties involved will be hoping that Corberan’s tenure as majority shareholder represents a significant improvement over Lai’s.