Berahino given incentive by Pulis to earn top-four move

Mark Scott
Saido Berahino: Wanted by Stoke this summer

Saido Berahino: Wanted by Stoke this summer

West Brom manager Tony Pulis has promised Saido Berahino he will secure a move to a top-four club – but warned only good performances will help his cause.

The 22-year-old has been involved in a fractious relationship with the Midlands club and had seen a number of bids rejected from Tottenham, while in January they turned down a £21million offer from Newcastle.

On Friday he finally apologised for his strike threat and a day later showed the talent he undoubtedly possesses by inspiring West Brom to a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, scoring his first Premier League goal since October.

Now Pulis wants Berahino to build on that for the rest of the season prior to the reopening of the transfer window in the summer.

The Baggies boss accepts his player’s ambitions lie away from The Hawthorns, and is not about to criticise him for that.

Pulis said: “If he plays half the season now like he did (against Palace), everybody will start talking about him. His mind is clear and he is set on his football again.

“I have had lots of conversations with him. It has not been a short period. This has been over three windows. Every window that opens up, he gets driven in a direction that maybe a more experienced or stronger character would deal with.

“He is a young lad, and he speaks to a lot of people and a lot speak to him. He gets pushed from pillar to post. You can speak to him, you think you have got him, and all of a sudden you lose him again.

“He is not a bad lad. I have been round to his house, I have met his mum, they are nice people.

“The most important thing is that he has a God-given gift and he should squeeze the pips from it, and have a great, great career.

“Everything will follow, whether now, tomorrow or the next day. If he is playing well, he will get the recognition. And the move. He wants to play for a top-four team.

“I don’t think it is the money, it is the opportunity and the chance to show how good he is. You can’t take that from the boy. You can’t tell him not to want that.

“It makes people become stronger and better. He is a driven person, he has that ambition. You don’t want to take that from him.

“He can’t go anywhere, he is with us now, and he has to get himself fit and put himself in that position again that he was last summer. If he is playing well, he will get the recognition. And the move. He wants to play for a top-four team.”

“I don’t think it is the money, it is the opportunity and the chance to show how good he is. You can’t take that from the boy. You can’t tell him not to want that.”