Joseph Masi, West Bromwich Albion reporter for the Express and Star, has given his thoughts on the speculation linking Domagoj Vida to the Hawthorns via the Baggies Broadcast podcast.

Transfer gossip has been swirling for quite some time, and with the Baggies being linked to a vast array of players already this summer, it’s difficult to know where the line between truth and fantasy starts and ends.

And now that Besiktas centre-back Domagoj Vida has been thrown into the mix, many Albion fans don’t know whether to get excited or dismiss the rumour as simply that.

Joseph Masi addressed the Vida gossip on the podcast:

I am, to put a percentage on it, 70% confident Albion aren’t in for him. That said, I wouldn’t write a story for tomorrow’s paper saying that Albion aren’t in for him.

Vida wants a shot at the Premier League, and basically his next move is his last chance to do that.

The issue is that he’s on £70,000-per-week and Albion aren’t going to pay that for a player. Are they going to pay £6.3m? Maybe… It’s a hefty section of the transfer budget on a player that will have no resale value.

With Vida, there are a few boxes that do add up, but there are also a few red flags: his age and his salary.

As no established media outlets in the UK have been able to corroborate what the journalists in Turkey have claimed, there will naturally be a considerable amount of doubt from Albion fans.

Whilst he would be an affordable option at £6.3m, his age and salary will be off-putting to the board, as Masi points out, and there may be better alternatives out there.

That said, Vida’s versatility at the back would make him a valuable asset to the squad, as he can step in at right-back as well as centre-back and excel in both positions.

Moreover, the experience of top-flight football that he can bring to the side would be invaluable and could help the Baggies out significantly in their bid to avoid the drop zone this season.

Of course, it’s still very early in the transfer window and a lot can happen between now and deadline day, but the stories surrounding Vida’s potential move to the Hawthorns continue swirling for now.

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