Valencia Makes Formal Approach for West Brom Manager Corberan

Carlos Corberan guided West Bromwich Albion to a fifth-place finish in the Championship during the previous season. Valencia, currently struggling in La Liga, has formally contacted West Bromwich Albion regarding their head coach, Carlos Corberan. According to two independent sources who spoke to BBC Sport and BBC Radio WM, discussions between the two clubs are in progress, but an agreement has not yet been concluded. Nevertheless, Valencia reportedly intends to activate the 41-year-old Spanish coach’s release clause at Championship side Albion, which is estimated to be in the range of £3-4m. The Spanish club dismissed head coach Ruben Baraja on Monday, following a record of only two victories in 17 league fixtures this season. Corberan, previously manager of Huddersfield Town, took charge of the Baggies in October 2022, guiding them to a ninth-place finish in his inaugural season and a fifth-place finish last term, where they were defeated by Southampton in the play-off semi-finals. This season, he has steered Albion to the seventh position in the Championship standings, narrowly missing the play-off spots based on goals scored, even though he stated that his playing budget had been cut by 30%. Corberan had previously been associated with the recent managerial opening at Premier League club Southampton; however, the Saints opted for Ivan Juric as the replacement for the dismissed Russell Martin. Valencia, which is Corberan’s hometown club, is currently four points away from a safe position, occupying the second-to-last spot in La Liga. In Baraja’s last match as manager, they achieved a 2-2 draw against Alaves on Sunday, which allowed them to move off the bottom of the table due to goal difference. Their subsequent league fixture is against the reigning champions Real Madrid on 3 January. Steve Hermon of BBC Radio WM noted that Carlos Corberan has recently been linked with an increasing number of positions, which could indicate an active agent or potentially Corberan’s own desire for new opportunities. Valencia has historically been a prominent team in European football, having won La Liga and the Uefa Cup as recently as 2004, but the appeal of this role might extend beyond on-field matters. The Spanish coach was raised in the village of Cheste, situated slightly over 20 miles from Valencia’s Mestalla stadium. His parents continue to reside in the area; he is married to Claudia, a Spanish woman (whom he met in Leeds where she was employed as an interpreter), and they share two young sons, Dario and Marcos. Although a dedicated workaholic deeply immersed in football, Corberan is also a devoted family man. A relocation nearer to his family might be beneficial in this regard. Furthermore, he is an ambitious coach. His 11-game tenure at Greek top-tier club Olympiakos, which concluded just before his arrival at The Hawthorns, likely left a negative impression, making this his initial genuine chance to operate at an elite level. Similar to other Spanish clubs, Valencia is currently observing a winter break, but his potential first match at the helm would be a home fixture against Real Madrid on 3 January. The following day, Albion is scheduled to play away at Swansea in a 12:30 kick-off, which highlights the appeal of the move.