By Kieran Maguire

10th Jan, 2021 | 1:26pm

Exclusive: Finance expert shares £60m West Brom reveal after key development

West Brom could stand to lose at least £60million if Sam Allardyce cannot keep them in the Premier League this season.

That is according to finance wizard and new Football Insider columnist Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to correspondent Adam Williams about Big Sam’s Hawthorns appointment.

West Brom relieved promotion-winning manager Slaven Bilic of his duties in December, immediately installing Premier League survival expert Allardyce in his place.

And with zero matchday revenue and other Covid-related financial issues, this season’s relegation scramble has taken on an added level of significance.

As Maguire explains, the teams that go down this season will be struck far harder than in any other normal year.

Asked how badly a team like West Brom would be affected by relegation in this season of all seasons, Maguire told Football Insider: “There’s never been a worse time to be relegated to the Championship.

“The loss of money from not being in the Premier League is huge. Parachute payments are going to decrease because the Premier League has had to give some rebates to broadcasters and parachute payments are linked to the prize money from broadcasters.

“So Premier League survival is realistically worth £60m, so bringing someone like Allardyce in makes sense in that respect.”

The Baggies are currently second-bottom in the table, ahead only of Sheffield United who have had the worst start to a season in English top-flight history.

West Brom were knocked out of the FA Cup by League One Blackpool on Saturday and Allardyce has taken just one point from his opening four league matches, conceding 13 in that period.

In other news, West Brom are in the running to sign a French international midfielder along with a number of other Premier League clubs.