As the owner of West Brom, Shilen Patel has stated that his main goal is to promote the team to the Premier League.
Carlos Corberan’s team finished sixth in the Championship standings the previous season, and the Patel family sealed their £60 million purchase of the Midlands team at the start of 2024, according to the Daily Mail.
After losing to Southampton in the play-offs, the team was forced to spend another season in the second division; nevertheless, fans are hopeful that they can place in the top six once more after a strong start to the current season.
Patel has been installed as chairman following his family’s takeover, with the Baggies already in contention for another play-off berth.
West Brom are in their fourth season back in the Championship, having suffered relegation from the top flight in 2021.
As West Brom’s owner, Patel has stated that his main goal is to return the team to the Premier League.
He thinks that a team of their calibre can remain in the premier league, and that he should seize the chance to acquire Albion because good opportunities don’t come along very frequently.
According to Patel, “It’s changed my life,” as reported by The Telegraph.
“Playing English football has been a dream and a passion of mine for more than twenty years. It had to be the correct club at the right time, not simply in any way.
It would mean the world to me now that I’m here to return this team to the Premier League.
That’s our main goal, really.
“I simply believe that this club belongs in the Premier League, but we have to work for it.”
“We are aware that this team can compete in the Premier League.”
“We observe that clubs our size or smaller have succeeded in staying there and growing.
“This kind of club isn’t available very often, so this was always a really unique opportunity.”
West Brom’s promotion ambition
Despite coming up short in the previous season, West Brom has recovered to have a great start to the current one.
Despite dropping out of the top two after two losses in their past two games, they are still in fourth place in the standings, just two points behind leaders Sunderland.
Corberan’s team has played really well overall and has won five of their first eight games.
Next up for the Baggies is a home game against Millwall, where a win may put them back into the automatic promotion places for the October international break depending on outcomes elsewhere.
Premier League promotion is achievable for West Brom
Given their lengthy tenure in the top division over the past few decades, West Brom has every reason to think they can succeed there once more.
Supporters should be encouraged by Patel’s desire since he has been very clear about what he wants out of the team.
Considering how well Corberan has performed over the last two years there, hiring him as a coach would be a smart decision.
They will be a strong force in the promotion fight this year if they can hang onto him and add a couple more talented players to the roster.
