West Brom manager Steve Clarke is desperate to keep hold of combative midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu.
The 26-year-old has excelled for the Hawthorns outfit since arriving from French giants PSG, initially on loan, in January 2009.
He remained a first-team regular following Clarke s appointment prior to the 2012-13 campaign, and went on to score two goals in 28
Premier League appearances.
Fiorentina have been linked with a move for Mulumbu of late, with the Italians reportedly set to offer four million pounds for
the Congolese midfielder.
But Clarke says he has told the club s board that Mulumbu is a player he needs to keep if West
Brom are to improve further.
Youssouf has been excellent for us since I have
been here and is one of the players we want to keep, he said.
I think come the summer the ones that we have to
keep that I want to keep will still be at the club.
Mulumbu has a year left on his contract, and West Brom are
hoping to extend his deal having recently committed Jonas Olsson
and James Morrison to fresh long-term deals.