West Brom’s £4.7m deal for former Real Madrid star backfires

Under the leadership of Tony Mowbray, West Bromwich Albion lifted the EFL Championship title during the 2007/08 campaign, earning promotion to the Premier League alongside Stoke City and play-off winners Hull City.

With a return to the top flight secured, the Baggies attempted to reinforce their squad to improve their chances of survival. Players such as Jonas Olsson, Scott Carson, Graham Dorrans and Youssouf Mulumbu arrived to complement a group that already included experienced figures like Kevin Phillips, Chris Brunt and Zoltán Gera.

On paper, West Brom appeared well equipped for the challenge ahead and many believed they had assembled the strongest squad among the newly promoted sides. However, the season would unfold in a way that left supporters with disappointing memories.

After suffering defeats in their opening league fixtures — away to Arsenal and at home against Everton — Mowbray concluded that further reinforcements were necessary if the club were to remain competitive. The Baggies subsequently broke their transfer record to sign an attacking midfielder who was expected to provide creativity and help break down opposition defences.

The move ultimately failed to deliver the intended impact, and the player’s spell at The Hawthorns proved largely forgettable.

That signing was Spanish playmaker Borja Valero, who joined from RCD Mallorca in the summer of 2008 for £4.7 million. The midfielder signed a four-year contract and became the club’s most expensive acquisition at the time, surpassing the fee previously paid to Cardiff City for Robert Earnshaw in 2004.

Speaking after the transfer was completed, Mowbray expressed confidence in the Spaniard’s ability, noting that while an adjustment period might be required, he expected Valero to adapt to English football without significant difficulty.

Valero was immediately included in the starting line-up for West Brom’s trip to Bolton Wanderers, where he was substituted just before the hour mark in a 0–0 draw. He followed that appearance by registering an assist for James Morrison during a 3–2 home victory against West Ham United.

Those early moments proved to be among the few highlights of his season. While he occasionally demonstrated flashes of his technical ability, meaningful contributions were limited. Over the following 20 league matches he failed to record either a goal or an assist, as West Brom endured a difficult run that included a ten-game winless stretch. That sequence eventually ended with a 2–1 home victory over Manchester City, a match in which Valero was left out of the side.

A graduate of the Real Madrid academy, Valero was deployed in several midfield roles throughout the campaign. However, he never fully established himself in a specific position and struggled to adapt to the physical and tactical demands of English football.

His only other assist for the club came in a 3–1 home win over Wigan Athletic later in the season, at a time when West Brom were battling to avoid relegation near the bottom of the table.

In the end, the transfer did little to change the club’s fortunes. West Brom finished bottom of the Premier League and were relegated straight back to the Championship, while fellow promoted sides Hull City and Stoke City both managed to preserve their top-flight status for another season.

For a record signing, Valero’s return of three assists and no goals represented a significant shortfall compared to expectations, with West Brom ultimately ending the campaign three points short of safety.

Initially, it appeared that the Spaniard might remain at the club following relegation. At the time he stated that he still had three years left on his contract and was prepared to honour it, even if playing in the second tier was not ideal.

However, that stance soon changed. Within weeks, Valero indicated that he would prefer a return to Mallorca rather than competing in England’s second division and expressed openness to a loan move should the clubs reach an agreement.

A loan return to Mallorca was soon arranged, effectively bringing his disappointing spell with West Brom to an end and leaving the club’s record signing label attached to a player who had struggled to justify the fee.

Despite his difficulties in England, Valero went on to build a successful career elsewhere. After two seasons back in Spain on loan — first with Mallorca and later with Villarreal CF — he joined Villarreal permanently in 2011.

Later spells in Italy with ACF Fiorentina and Inter Milan saw him enjoy considerable success before bringing his professional career to a close. Across the Spanish and Italian top flights, he made more than 400 appearances and recorded over 100 goal contributions.

However, the quality he demonstrated elsewhere was never fully seen during his time at West Brom. Had circumstances been different particularly if the club had avoided relegation supporters at The Hawthorns might have witnessed far more of the ability that defined the rest of his career.

Since then, West Brom have surpassed that transfer record on multiple occasions, but at the time Valero arrived with considerable expectation and ultimately delivered very little, making the deal one that failed to meet the hopes attached to it.