Tony Pulis wants Saido Berahino to stay at West Brom but predicts January drama
Friday 16 December 2016 14:21, UK
West Brom boss Tony Pulis expects more transfer drama surrounding Saido Berahino next month.
Berahino has not played since September and he has only recently returned to the Midlands after spending time in France working on his fitness.
The 23-year-old featured for the club's U23 team on Monday against Wolves but is not yet in contention for a Premier League return.
West Brom have rejected numerous offers for the England striker, with Stoke City and Crystal Palace trying to sign him last summer, and Pulis expects more interest in January with his Baggies contract expiring at the end of the season.
"It's happened before and it'll happen again, there will be people talking to him and telling him what he should and shouldn't be doing," Pulis said.
"It's up to him to work it out, he's big enough now to make decisions for himself.
"It's a three-party one, there were deals 18 months ago for Saido to leave and it didn't suit the club so it wasn't done.
"It has to be Saido, ourselves and the club who want to buy him. I am hoping he will stay and get his head down and want to stay.
"The window opens again and you don't know what's going to happen."
"He played for the U23s on Monday and he needs more games. We need to get him more game time. He needs another couple of games before we can put him in."
One striker who has hit form for the Baggies is Salomon Rondon, who scored a hat-trick against Swansea on Wednesday to take his goal tally to seven.
And Pulis hopes that night to remember will be fresh in his memory when his side face Manchester United on Saturday.
Pulis added: "Strikers live off confidence and live off scoring goals. At the moment he's full of it.
"He's been fantastic for us this year, it took him a while to settle in. But he's come back this year and his family is more settled."
