����ý

West Bromwich Albion have made a key off-field appointment at the Championship club by giving a sporting director role to Andrew Nestor.

The former Bologna director and Tampa Bay Rowdies president, chief executive and general manager, is CEO of Bilkul Football Group, Albion's parent club.

Along with Bilkul chief operating officer, Ashish Patel, Nestor was involved with owner Shilen Patel's takeover of Albion in February and has been part of club operations since.

He will continue to work alongside Albion's head of football operations Ian Pearce, the former Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United and Fulham defender.

His immediate focus is "the men's first-team squad, in particular planning strategy, supporting operations and recruitment, led by Ian Pearce, and the men’s first-team technical staff, led by Carlos Corberan."

Albion chairman Shilen Patel said Nestor will bring "experience from working across all aspects of football club operations in various parts of the world", adding he "aligns with, and will implement, Bilkul’s philosophies around running a competitive and sustainable club in a global marketplace".

Patel also emphasised Nestor's role in "driving the change in Albion’s short and long-term strategy along with its philosophy".

Nestor"Since Bilkul Football Group's acquisition of the club earlier this year, we have always acknowledged that this would be an important summer for the evolution of the men's first-team squad.

“We have been fully aware of the challenges and opportunities that we have in front of us. We must operate within certain constraints due to the club’s past financial losses and decisions, but it should not be daunting to any of us.

"We continue to work through the current transfer window with a view to strengthening the club for the present and the long-term.”

Albion are into their fourth full season since last being relegated from the English top flight - and now operating without any Premier League parachute payments.

After a comparatively low-budget summer addition of seven players, including the first transfer fee paid since Corberan took charge in October 2022, they are not now among the Championship's biggest spenders.

The Baggies won 3-1 on the opening weekend of the season at QPR before changing all 11 players in the starting line-up in the League Cup on Tuesday night and losing to League Two side Fleetwood.

Albion host one of Corberan's old clubs Leeds United on Saturday, when they will again be without injured pair Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana.