West Brom have reportedly relaxed their interest in appointing Bruno Labbadia as their next manager, according to Express & Star.

Labbadia, 53, was earlier thought to be a strong candidate for the role but Express & Star suggest talks may have subsided due to disagreements over wages.

The Baggies have also targeted Chris Wilder and Salvisa Jokanovic, but the latter is also unlikely to become manager due to West Brom's refusal to meet his financial demands, whilst Wilder is obviously preparing for the Premier League with Sheffield United.

Labbadia has managed some of the top teams in Germany, including Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, where he enjoyed win rates of 47.5% and 44% respectively.

He is clearly an astute manager and the prospect of his appointment will have likely excited West Brom fans.

The Baggies have been without a full-time manager since Darren Moore was sacked in March, and they appear to be no closer now with pre-season looming around the corner.

The Verdict

Although Labbadia lacks experience in England, his years spent managing in the Bundesliga surely make him a strong candidate for the West Brom managerial position, and if he was to take it he would likely be a success given the players at his disposal.

However, if reports are true that wages are a stumbling block then there is cause for concern amongst the Albion fanbase. Jokanovic seems out of the running for the same reason which signals that West Brom are unwilling to pay for the best quality available to them. Baggies fans could begin to complain of a lack of ambition, and it would be a valid accusation of the board.