The EFL will support West Brom as the Championship side still wait to receive the money they are owed from Barcelona after they signed young striker Louie Barry.

The teenager was seen as one of the most talented players for his age in England whilst he was at Albion but he didn't sign a new contract with the Baggies, instead opting to move to the Catalan giants.

Given his age, Albion were entitled to the standard £235,000 compensation when Barry left for La Masia but Barcelona have so far refused to pay.

In a further twist, Barry, who only signed for the Spanish champions in July last year, has already left Barca, joining Albion's bitter rivals Aston Villa for an initial fee of around £880,000 in January.

That angered West Brom, particularly as they still haven't received the fee they are owed.

And, the Express & Star provided the latest on the dispute this morning, revealing that the EFL have stepped in to support the club as they open talks with FIFA over the situation.

They also state that lawyers have been contacted as Albion investigate whether it was possible for Barcelona to sell Barry despite having not paid for him.

QUIZ: Do you know what these 13 ex-West Brom players are doing now?

The verdict

This is a real mess and you have to say that Barcelona do not come out of this well at all.

It's pretty incredible that they haven't yet paid the fee, which was clearly below Barry's market value, and it must be hugely frustrating to all those at The Hawthorns.

Albion will hope the EFL's involvement can speed things up and they can then move on from this matter.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.