Tony Mowbray reveals he's spoken to transfer target as West Brom plan deals
Tony Mowbray hasn't wasted much time in looking to help West Bromwich Albion's recruitment drive this January transfer window. Mowbray has only just walked back through the doors of Albion and is thrilled to have returned 16 years after leaving The Hawthorns for Celtic, having achieved plenty with the Baggies in his two and a half years in charge.
Mowbray joined sporting director Andrew Nestor at his unveiling on Monday; along with head of football operations Ian Pearce, Nestor eventually identified Mowbray following a lengthy and turbulent manager hunt. With a fortnight remaining of the transfer window, and Albion active and eager to add players to their squad this month, the club's recruitment team are exploring their options.
Mowbray has been used to working alongside sporting directors ever since his days with Dan Ashworth, and while he is happy for others to oversee the process of identifying and recruiting players who fit what Albion are eager to attract to the club, he has no issues in contributing to the transfer operation - and has revealed he has even spoken to a prospective target.
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"I'm very relaxed, I have had a little input into some potential recruitment down the line, Andrew will not talk to you about that but I'm happy to help," Mowbray smiled. "In fact I did speak to a player the other day, for the club, and that player was saying some players that he's playing with were actually enthusing because I'd managed them and they were saying, oh you've got to go, Tony does this and he does that, you'll love it.
"That feels good, it's warm, it tickles your belly a little bit. There are people who you've managed actually talking really highly of you and saying, you've got to go, you'll love it there, it's going to be amazing. I'm thinking that's nice, because I did think he was very good!
"It's a small world I think, the football world. The only ingredient I would try and input really would be, as long as they're good human beings, as long as they are going to be part of the culture that we're trying to create, an environment where they want to come into work and everybody gets on. Every dressing room has their leaders and their followers of course, but as long as the leaders who are trying to impact on the dressing room are good guys, then I've got no issues.
"For me, to be honest, the gentleman next to me [Nestor] is very astute at what he does, very clever, and I'm listening and watching. I'm not going in and saying I think we should sign him, I think he could be available, I've worked with him before, what a good player - I'm not doing that. It would be wrong if I did come in and they hadn't. You heard them in their manager search - there's lots of data out there that point to players, now they'll all point to Harry Kane!
"If you want goals but you ain't going to spend £100m on Harry Kane, you know what I mean? You have to be clever, that's what I think, what leagues are you looking at, what divisions are you looking at, what teams are you thinking about trying to buy from, and that's how you have to do it.
"I'm not coming in here and saying I'm really disappointed, why don't you sign him, because I've worked with him and he's great, you're signing him, I've never seen him, is he any good? I'm happy to work with the group and as we learn more about each other. I'm sure I'll be offered an opportunity to share my opinion. I'm not going to be stamping my feet if I don't get the ones I want, it's not the way modern day football works."
