Wednesday 9 May 2018 17:46, UK
Former West Brom striker Kevin Campbell says it is vital the squad stays together if the club is going to return to the Premier League at the first attempt.
The Baggies' eight-year stay in the top flight ended on Tuesday when Southampton beat Swansea 1-0.
Campbell, who played for the club from 2005-2006, fears big names like Jonny Evans, who has a £3m buy-out clause in his contract, may move on.
To bounce back up from the Sky Bet Championship next season, Campbell told Sky Sports News that the club must do all it can to hang on to the nucleus of the squad.
"The vultures are out to try to pick over the carcass of West Bromich Albion," he said.
"It all depends on what West Brom's mindset will be going into the Championship. Obviously there are players like Jonny Evans who is coming to the back end of his career, so to play Premier League football again will be very important to him.
"But they have a young enough squad to be able to keep these players together and hopefully get them out of the Championship. I believe they've got a very strong squad."
Campbell is a friend of caretaker manager Darren Moore, who has overseen three wins and two draws since taking over from Alan Pardew, and he believes the former West Brom defender is the right man to take charge next season.
"The manager is key," Campbell added. "He is going to go around and speak to his senior players and see who is up for the battle.
"A lot of the players might want to go back into the Premier League. You move players on who aren't going to stay and you make additions to the core group that you have and you build on it and you go again.
"The Championship is a brutal league. It is a very tough league to get out of but if you've got a strong squad when you come down from the Premier League and you've got a bit of momentum going you can go straight back up.
"There are a lot of clubs who haven't had that, who've got rid of their squads, and they are still in the Championship so you've got to in there with a strong mindset."
