West Brom ready to offer better contract to Darren Fletcher as Stoke City circle
Albion will return with a better offer for Darren Fletcher when he comes off international duty in an attempt to stop him leaving for Stoke City.
The Potters are hoping to snap up Fletcher on a free transfer this summer as negotiations stall between the Baggies and their influential captain.
The former Manchester United midfielder, who meets up with Scotland on Sunday, is out of contract at the end of June and has so far refused to sign any of the deals on the table.
Albion have been in talks with his representatives on and off for the past two months over a possible two-year contract, but have been unable to agree terms so far.
The board is confident they will eventually meet in the middle on length of contract and wages before Fletcher is lost on a free, but Stoke's interest has put the cat amongst the pigeons.
Fletcher still lives near Manchester and travels down to Albion's training ground in Walsall on the M6.
Not only would joining Stoke shorten his commute, but it's understood the captain has been unhappy with criticism thrown his way this season over performances.
Fletcher played through several niggling injuries during an 86-game run of consecutive league starts that lasted more than two years and was also asked to play higher up the pitch than he is used to by Tony Pulis.
Although the Baggies have plenty of central midfielders in the squad after signing Jake Livermore in January and the emergence of Sam Field, Pulis is keen to keep a player of Fletcher’s experience at the club.
However, Gordon Strachan’s Scotland squad is meeting up on Sunday and it is now unlikely that negotiations will continue until after Fletcher returns from international duty.
But director of football administration Richard Garlick has been holding talks with Craig Dawson and his representatives about a new long-term contract.
The 27-year-old defender’s current deal runs out at the end of next season, but having become a crucial part of the team under Pulis, Dawson is in line for pay increase.
The right-back has missed just one league game out of the last two campaigns, and that came through suspension.
Meanwhile, reports suggesting Albion are going back in for Islam Slimani are wide of the mark. The Baggies tried to sign the Algerian last year before pulling out when Sporting Lisbon wanted more than £17million, but they are not interested in the Leicester striker this summer.
