After leaving the Latics, Cedric Kipre has shown to be an incredible value and has played a significant role in the Baggies’ postseason run.
This season, West Bromwich Albion is poised to secure a spot in the Championship play-offs, and a large part of their success can be attributed to their defence, which has performed admirably throughout the campaign.
Only the top two teams in the league, Leeds United and Leicester City, have given up fewer goals than the Baggies this year. Carlos Corberan’s well-coached team consistently repels the opposition with remarkable ease.
With 44 goals given up, the Albion defensive deserves a lot of praise. Alex Palmer in goal does a fantastic job, and Cedric Kipre at the centre of defence puts in great performances.
The Ivory Coast U23 international has improved steadily in his defensive role since joining the Hawthorns for a six-figure price back in 2020. At times this season, he has been an absolute brick block for his team.
Amidst the West Bromwich Albion Championship playoff push, Cedric Kipre shines.
With each season that Kipre has played centre back for the Black County team, which he signed for a reported £900,000 back in 2020, that signing has looked like greater value for money.
The Paris-born hero took some time to get going in a white and blue shirt after keeping Wigan Athletic in the league the previous season. He was loaned out to Belgian team Charleroi in the hopes that
He earned a return to first team action for Albion in 2021–2022, although after seldom playing for the club, he spent the entire previous year on loan at Cardiff City, a Championship team. His future at the Hawthorns now appears uncertain.
However, Corberan has been a defender this season, and the player, the team, and the manager have all benefited from it. He has established himself as something of a mainstay at the centre of the defence thanks to a number of outstanding performances throughout the year.
The 27-year-old is exactly the kind of player the current manager loves—he plays solid defence and takes no chances. Now that the defender has reached the right level of maturity, it has proven to be a match made in heaven.
Kipre has been a vital component of that defensive framework; no Albion player has made more tackles in the defensive third this season, and his 65 blocks rank first among the team.
The Baggies backline, which frequently features Kyle Bartley or Semi Ajayi, is unbeatable due to their exceptional aerial skill and exceptional ability to read the game and spot danger before it poses a threat.
Details of Cedric Kipre’s contract, West Bromwich Albion acquisition
The concerning update for supporters of Albion is that Kipre’s contract at the Hawthorns is scheduled to expire in a few months. His four-year agreement, which was signed in 2020, ends this June.
Corberan [pictured] addressed the issue back in February, so he is well aware that the club needs to address the approaching contract crisis.
“It’s something I know the club is talking about,” he stated.
Both the club’s financial resources and the players’ expectations regarding their finances are important. Those are the two areas in need of focus.
“However, I am aware that the team is speaking with the players, that many of them have completed their contracts, and I believe something will happen in the coming weeks or months.”
Corberan’s assessment of the team’s financial situation will have been reinforced by the purchase of Bilkul Football WBA, in which Chairman Shilen Patel obtained an 87.8% ownership.
According to Fabrizio Romano, other teams have apparently been watching Kipre, so a change in leadership might provide the Baggies the extra money they need to maintain the defender through the current campaign.
Purchasing a player of Kipre’s calibre for less than a million pounds these days is a commendable achievement, regardless of perspective. Even though it took him some time to establish himself at the Hawthorns, he is now one of the team’s most dependable players and is deserving of all the praise following an outstanding campaign in the second division.
