West Bromwich Albion are likely to formally announce Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael as their permanent replacement for Sam Allardyce today, according to the Express & Star. 

It is now a month to the day since Allardyce stepped down from his role at Albion following their final game of the 2020/21 Premier League season and there has been no shortage of twists and turns in the search for his successor.

Ismael has emerged as the frontrunner in recent days and the Express & Star has now reported that he is set to unveiled as the new Baggies boss today.

It is understood that West Brom have paid the full £2 million in compensation required to prize the Tykes coach away from Oakwell.

Additionally, the report claims that the West Midlands club have been in talks with Ismael over the past 24 hours to finalise the contracts for him and his backroom staff.

The 45-year-old took charge of Barnsley back in October with the Yorkshire club battling down near the bottom of the Championship and transformed them into the second tier's surprise package in 2020/21, leading them to the play-offs.

The Verdict

There have been plenty of false dawns for Albion fans as their new manager hunt has dragged on over the past month, however, it seems as if it is now just a matter of time until Ismael is confirmed.

The Hawthorns faithful are still likely to be a little cautious but given the timeline outlined in this report, their fears should be eased soon.

It was originally suggested that the Baggies were reluctant to pay any compensation for a coach this summer but you feel the decision to go all-in for Ismael could prove a very smart one.

He worked wonders with Barnsley last term and will have significantly more resources at the West Midlands club.

It may sting for the Tykes but for the neutral it is going to be intriguing to see how he fares.