Cadiz director shares Chris Ramos stance as West Brom make bid for £4.5m striker

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West Brom remain hopeful of adding another forward to Ryan Mason’s squad before the start of the new Championship season, with Chris Ramos of Cadiz the man currently in the crosshairs.

The Baggies scored a fairly-respectable but less-than stellar 57 league goals during the 2024/25 campaign. Fewer than all of the division’s top six, while also less than bottom-half duo Norwich City and Portsmouth.

Adam Armstrong has returned to Southampton following an underwhelming loan spell at the Hawthorns. The West Brom fans will need no reminding about Daryl Dike’s fitness issues, while Josh Maja’s impressive start was also curtailed by injury.

So while Aune Heggebo is tipped to take West Brom by storm – the £4.7 million addition from SK Brann arrives with a fine track record in Norwegian football – there is certainly space in Mason’s roster for another goalscorer.

And, according to reports over in Spain, a bid has been lodged for Chris Ramos as Cadiz’s sporting director Juan Cala speaks out to explain his ongoing absence from the club’s pre-season preparations.

Chris Ramos absence explained as Cadiz rejected West Brom bid

The well-travelled Chris Ramos joined Cadiz from CD Lugo back in 2023.

While far from prolific – at least, compared to Heggebo – the former Sevilla B man did enjoy the most productive campaign of his career last time out. He broke into double figures for the first time at the age of 28, scoring ten times for a Cadiz outfit who finished 13th in the Spanish Segunda.

According to Diario de Cadiz, West Brom have now submitted an opening bid of nearly £2.2 million.

During a press conference on Thursday, meanwhile, the aforementioned Juan Cala was asked about the issue which has limited Ramos’ involvement during pre-season. He was nowhere to be seen during the 3-0 hammering of Qatari outfit Al-Sadd in midweek.

Cala, though, explains that Ramos was sidelined by a knee injury rather than the uncertainty hanging over his head going into the final few weeks of the summer window.

“Chris has a tendon problem that’s preventing him from doing some stop-and-start moves,” Cala said. “We have to be cautious with him.”

Diario de Cadiz do report that Chris Ramos was involved in a group training session on Thursday, however. It appears that, if West Brom do get a deal done for the rangy 28-year-old, there is no real expectation that he will miss the beginning of the new campaign.

Spanish outfit want £4.5 million as West Brom look to add to Aune Heggebo signing

The report adds that West Brom are still a long way off an agreement with Cadiz.

The Spanish second-tier outfit value Ramos at closer to £4.5 million, meaning the Baggies may have to double their opening offer. Rayo Vallecano and La Liga returnees Real Oviedo are also waiting in the wings, and – to quote Diario de Cadiz – ‘everything points to a sale taking place’.

It is believed that both Cadiz and Ramos are open to a deal as long as it satisfies the former’s asking price.

Auge Heggebo’s West Brom switch is ‘fantastic business’, according to his old boss at Brann, but this is a Baggies squad with a lot of gaps still to be filled.

EFL Analysis can confirm, via football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that former Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn is in talks over a return to England’s second tier.

Gunn is currently without a club after his Carrow Road contract expired in July.

Ryan Mason missed out on Mikey Moore when Tottenham loaned the silky winger to Rangers instead. West Brom hope to land Luca Bombino of MLS outfit San Diego FC, however, despite seeing an opening bid rejected this week for the technically-gifted left-back.