Baggies boss hadn't expected Palmer bid with Luton rumoured to be close to signing keeper

West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan hadn’t expected to receive a bid for his number one goalkeeper Alex Palmer, believed to have come from the Hatters, at this late stage of the close season.

The 26-year-old has been at the Hawthorns his entire career after coming through the academy and turning pro in 2015, although has had numerous loan spells at Kidderminster, Oldham, Notts County, Plymouth Argyle, Lincoln City and Luton, a brief emergency loan deal with Town back in the 2021-22 season.

Last season saw Palmer make 25 of his 26 appearances for the Baggies, as after signing a new four year contract in the summer of 2022, he replaced David Button as first choice, before a knee and ankle injury in January curtailed his progress.

Returning in April, he kept 11 clean sheets in total and was due to start the season in goal for Albion when their Championship campaign begins next weekend.

However, he wasn’t included in yesterday’s 4-3 friendly win over Bolton Wanderers, with talkSPORT reporting a bid of around £2.5m from Luton had been accepted.

Speaking to the Express & Star, Corberan said: “With Alex, the club has received an offer and now it's in the moment to evaluate the offer, for Alex and the club and to see if it's something positive for the club and keeper, or something that is not positive.

"Right now, it's best to play the players you know that are going to stay and play with the players not involved in this mental process.

"I'm out of the process of negotiations so I don't know, I only know that the club received the offer, that contact has been made with the club.

"Now it's time to evaluate the offer, but that is out of my responsibility - my responsibility is with the team, to understand the moments we must play better in order to start the season the way I want us to.

"We know that the market, when you don't control it the way you want, you have two positions, you can be proactive or reactive.

"This is a situation that I didn't expect but it happens in football.

"When it does we must show the right reaction, when those circumstances appear.

"I don't really want to talk about things that haven't yet happened, not only this, but in general, because I think the season arrives after the decision has been made.

"The timings aren't going to be perfect and the situation is that some players that we like are going to leave, but at the same time we need to adapt to the situation of the club.

"Alex is a West Bromwich player and until that situation changes, my mind won't change."