West Brom: The 2020 signing whose Hawthorns exit looks a lot less likely than it did: Opinion | OneFootball

Highlights

footballleagueworld video of the day

To say that Cedric Kipre's start to life as a West Bromwich Albion player was a slow-burner, would probably be something of an understatement.

The centre back joined the Baggies from Wigan Athletic back in the summer of 2020, arriving for an undisclosed fee, amid the financial struggles the Latics were enduring at the time.

However, for a significant period after completing his move to The Hawthorns, Kipre struggled to establish himself in the Baggies' side.

How did things go for Kipre when he first joined West Brom?

Having completed that move to the Midlands, Kipe managed to make just three appearances across all competitions during his first half-a-season with the club.

As a result, the centre back spent the second half of his debut 2020/21 campaign with West Brom, out on loan in Belgium with Charleroi, where he managed to feature only five times.

With West Brom back in the Championship, Kipre did get a bit more joy in the 2021/22 season, featuring 16 times in total.

However, that was not enough to prevent the one-time Ivory Coast international from again being shipped out on loan in the summer of 2022, in a move that saw him spend last season on loan elsewhere in the Championship, with Cardiff City.

That, though, was a more successful loan spell, with Kipre playing a key role in helping the Bluebirds avoid relegation to League One, showing how good a player he can be at this level in the process.

Even so, his long-term future with West Brom did look precarious when he returned from that spell in the Welsh capital earlier this summer, although events at the start of this season, mean it could be argued that it could soon be set to change.

How could this season impact Kipre's West Brom future?

Going into this season, Kipre found himself now entering the final 12 months of his contract at The Hawthorns.

As a result, the fact he had previously struggled to really establish himself in the Baggies side to show his importance to the club, may have made him an obvious candidate to be moved on at the end of this season, creating space in the squad for new recruits.

However, the start of the campaign appears as though it may have changed that, with Kipre picking up for West Brom, where he left off for Cardiff at the end of last season.

At the time of writing, Kipre has taken part in eight of the nine Championship games the club have played this season, starting every time he has featured in the league for Carlos Corberan's side.

That has been accompanied by some solid and reliable performances from the centre back, again highlighting his potential importance to this team.

Consequently, it does feel as though Kipre is now making a much stronger case for an extended contract with the club, now he is showing just what he can do for them.

Could other issues at West Brom aid Kipre's prospects at The Hawthorns?

Indeed, it could also be argued that circumstances surrounding West Brom as a whole, could also play in the Ivorian's favour in that respect.

At 26-years-old, Kipre is the youngest of West Brom's established first-team options in the centre of defence, when compared with 29-year-old Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley, who is 32, and Erik Pieters (35).

As a result, that could make the former Wigan man the Baggies' best option to build their backline around, in terms of how much more he may still have to offer them in his career.

It is also worth noting that the ongoing financial uncertainty hanging over the club, means it could still be difficult for the club to sign players when the transfer market reopens, especially given they only brought in three senior individuals over the summer transfer window.

That could mean that extending the contract of Kipre, could also be a more attainable option for West Brom as they look to maintain their depth at centre back, than going out and signing a replacement for him would be.

With all that in mind, you get the feeling that there is a case to be made for the suggestion that a West Brom future that looked rather bleak for Kipre even just a few months ago, now feels a lot more positive, from an individual perspective at least.