Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion are open to both loan and permanent offers for centre-back Cedric Kipre ahead of the summer transfer window, according to an update from the Express and Star.
The 25-year-old hasn't featured under current boss Steve Bruce despite being picked regularly by predecessor Valerien Ismael earlier in the 2021/22 campaign, creating uncertainty regarding his future at The Hawthorns.
His first-team chances are likely to be limited further next season with Bruce ready to switch to a back four, potentially signalling the end of the Ivorian's time in the West Midlands with Semi Ajayi signing fresh terms earlier this month.
Although Matt Clarke has returned to Brighton and Hove Albion following the expiration of his loan spell, Albion also have Dara O'Shea, Kean Bryan, Kyle Bartley and Ajayi at their disposal.
Not only that, but youngster Caleb Taylor may begin to establish himself as a first-team regular in the coming years and Conor Townsend is able to fill in at centre-back, leaving Kipre on the fringes of the first team.
Unfortunately for the 25-year-old, his contract doesn't expire until the summer of 2024 and this means he won't be available for free, though the Baggies are willing to offload the defender in the coming months.
And interested sides will have the option to either bring him in on loan or recruit him on a longer-term basis according to the Express and Star, potentially giving the Ivorian more options to choose from when the upcoming window opens.
The Verdict:
This is a good decision from the Baggies because even offloading him temporarily could help the club to bring in another addition, as long as they manage to get the loan club to pay the vast majority or all of Kipre's wages.
In the event of an injury crisis, they may also be able to recall him in January if they insert that clause into the deal and this could help to provide them with a lifeline, because the West Midlands side experienced a real crisis in that area in the early stages of 2021/22.
However, they would probably prefer to see him leave permanently, even if they did receive a nominal fee for his services because that ensures he won't be on their wage bill for the long term.
Despite this, they should be demanding a reasonable fee for his services because at 25, he's a reliable second-tier option and could even improve further, potentially leaving them to regret their decision to offload him cheaply if they do.
This is why they should be keeping their options open in terms of potentially letting him leave temporarily - because he could possibly develop further and become one of the first names on the teamsheet at The Hawthorns in years to come.