West Brom signed Gianluca Frabotta from Juventus a year ago, but his future appears to lie elsewhere.
Gianluca Frabotta joined West Brom when Carlos Corberan was in charge, but the Italian has struggled to make an impact at the club.
Frabotta did not make a single start in the Championship, and he did not play again in the Carabao Cup following a 2-1 defeat to Fleetwood Town.
Torbjorn Heggem started the season well at left-back, but when the Norwegian switched to centre-back, the arrival of Callum Styles reduced Frabotta to third-choice in his natural position.
Despite Styles’ impressive performances this season, West Brom have been connected with several left-sided defenders. Jeffrey Schlupp was linked with the Baggies but has since joined Norwich City, and Jamal Lewis is the most recent player to be linked with a free transfer to West Brom.
It is unclear whether the objective is to replace Styles or to generate competition for the Hungary international, but it is apparent that it does not bode well for Frabotta’s future.
Gianluca Frabotta’s future at West Brom is not looking promising
Corberan and Tony Mowbray were clearly unimpressed with the 26-year-old during their time in charge of West Brom. Frabotta made only six substitute appearances and more starts for their Premier League 2 team.
| Team | Games | Starts |
| West Brom | 7 | 1 |
| West Brom U21s | 4 | 4 |
He arrived after four loan spells away from Juventus in his three seasons in Italy before joining WBA, highlighting his struggles to make an impression. Perhaps it was thought that a permanent move would change things, giving Frabotta the opportunity to settle down and kick on, but it hasn’t worked out as planned for him. With Ryan Mason and co.
looking for a new left-back, it appears that Frabotta will be packing his bags for another move soon.
Not the only WBA signing who struggled
Last season, West Brom had a mixed summer in terms of transfers. The general consensus among fans was that the Baggies squad appeared more well-rounded and had adequate depth, but it quickly became clear that this was not the case.
Lewis Dobbin and Uros Racic joined in the summer to compete for the starting XI. However, their loan periods were both reduced short in January. Paddy McNair made two league starts during his loan from San Diego before joining the MLS club in January, as anticipated.
Devante Cole enters this summer in identical circumstances as Frabotta. The former Barnsley striker also did not make a single league start, with his solitary appearance coming in the Carabao Cup against Fleetwood Town.
Both of these players appear to be in need of a fresh start this year, which can serve as a reminder to those at WBA to focus on quality rather than quantity.
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