Transfer news: West Brom working hard to get late deals done

West Bromwich Albion have 'all sorts of things going on behind the scenes' as they battle to complete late-summer deals.

There is now a little over two weeks before the transfer window slams shut and Premier League bosses must make do with the squads they have assembled.

A flurry of activity is expected, with managers forever searching for quality additions that can help to make their job a little easier.

It’s extremely difficult because you come up against dead ends on a number of occasions.

Baggies boss Alan Irvine is no different, with there a feeling that strengthening is still required at The Hawthorns.

Plenty of hard work is going into the pursuit of fresh faces, but getting acquisitions over the line is easier said than done.

Irvine said: “There are all sorts of things going on behind the scenes and Richard (Garlick), Terry (Burton), the recruitment staff and the chairman are all working extremely hard behind the scenes.

“But it’s extremely difficult because you come up against dead ends on a number of occasions.

“I went to a managers’ meeting and Paul Lambert, Harry Redknapp and Steve Bruce were all saying the same things and have the same problems.”

Irvine is not expecting any movement before West Brom kick-off the new season at home to Sunderland on Saturday.

He has other issues to address heading into that game, with summer signing Joleon Lescott still struggling with a knee injury picked up during a pre-season friendly clash with Nottingham Forest.

Irvine said of the England international: “It has gone on longer than I hoped but he had a setback when he played in the Forest game, so that was a blow.

“All I can do is take the advice and timescales from the medical people and at the moment they haven’t given me one, so that means they feel they still need to keep hold of him.”