Former West Bromwich Albion midfielder Carlton Palmer believes the club will not be able to secure the services of last season's loanee Okay Yokuslu for the upcoming campaign, speaking to Football FanCast.

The Turkish midfielder joined the Baggies in February from Spanish top-flight side Celta Vigo on loan until the end of the season - and made a good impression in the West Midlands as he racked up 16 Premier League appearances during his short time at The Hawthorns.

However, he returned to Spain on the expiration of his loan contract in the summer, with fellow loanees Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher also going back to respective clubs Arsenal and Chelsea.

This made the central midfield area a top priority for Baggies boss Valerien Ismael when he arrived from Barnsley in late June - and the Frenchman moved quickly to secure the Tykes' former captain Alex Mowatt on a free transfer after spending time with him at Oakwell last season.

But despite the presence of Mowatt, captain Jake Livermore and Romaine Sawyers in the middle of the park, the recently relegated side may also wish to add another central midfielder to their ranks and according to previous reports, Yokuslu was one of their targets.

As per AS, West Brom entered the race to re-sign the 27-year-old at the end of last month along with Premier League new boys Watford, with the midfielder said to be open to a return despite previously stating his wish for top-flight football in May.

Carlton Palmer is one man who believes they won't be able to seal a deal for the Turkey international due to their new status as a second-tier side and in an interview with Football FanCast, said: "I doubt he’ll go to West Brom. You know, you want to play in the Premier League, that’s what it’s all about. That’s the level you want to play if you can.

"I think it’d be very unlikely that West Brom could afford his salary in the Championship anyhow, but obviously from the player’s point of view, he’ll want to play in the highest league that he can."

The Verdict:

The addition of Yokuslu in the Championship would be a huge coup for the Baggies who saw the 27-year-old come in and make a real impact in England during his loan spell, but it will be interesting to see whether they would even be able to afford to seal this potential deal.

Selling star man Matheus Pereira could help them in their quest to bring Yokuslu back on board - but then it will be up to the player to decide whether he wants to join or not. Because of the number of hurdles they will have to jump over to sign him, a return looks unlikely at this stage.

However, the midfielder may be persuaded by the prospect of leading the Baggies back to the Premier League under a talented manager and therefore, Valerien Ismael could potentially be a key figure in bringing him back.

If they can get him on board, they will have one of the strongest midfields in the Championship and that could be key in their objective to get back to the top flight of English football.