West Brom are edging closer to reaching an agreement with Barnsley over Valerien Ismael, according to Alan Nixon.

Albion remain on the lookout for a new manager after Sam Allardyce decided to leave following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

After taking their time, the Baggies finally look set to land their man, with Ismael set to leave Oakwell for the Hawthorns.

Alan Nixon claims that the two clubs are closing in on agreement regarding compensation, which should be sorted "soon".

It has previously been reported that West Brom will have to pay around £2million in compensation for Ismael, who only arrived at Oakwell in October.

Ismael guided Barnsley to a play-off semi-final finish last season, and has won 25 out of 44 games in charge of the Tykes thus far.

The 45-year-old, who played for the likes of Crystal Palace and Bayern Munich as a player, has previously managed the likes of Wolfsburg and LASK.

The Verdict

This would be a fantastic coup for West Brom.

With respect, they are undoubtedly a bigger club than Barnsley, but they only narrowly missed out on promotion last season and have a clear direction off the pitch.

Ismael has proven to be a really exciting coach since coming over to England, and a man who also knows how to motivate a dressing room and galvanise them.

West Brom need that following relegation from the Premier League, and his exciting brand of football should get the best out of the players already at the club.