West Brom boss Slaven Bilic will be “extremely disappointed” if a deal is not done for Filip Krovinovic to rejoin the club.
The Croatian midfielder impressed while on loan from Benfica last season and played a key role in Albion winning promotion back to the Premier League.
“I will be extremely disappointed if it doesn’t happen, I don’t even want to think about it,” said Bilic, whose side face Everton at Goodison Park in the Premier League on Saturday.
“Every day when I walk into the training ground I ask about him. Why? Because last year he played a lot of games for us.
“He was brilliant on the pitch. You can be versatile with him on the pitch, you can change systems without changing the players.
“He improved a lot. He started to shoot on goal, to score goals. He got assists. Everybody loves him. He makes every player around him better – he is one of those, a silent or unsung hero.
“That is why every day I ask has he come, is it improving, is it improving? That’s how high I value him.”
Asked why a deal to bring back Krovinovic has yet to materialised, Bilic said: “Budget. We have to find some money for a loan or whatever.
“He (Krovinovic) wants to come. Everybody wants him here. I heard there is a possibility also from Benfica – that is why I am optimistic regarding Filip.
“As I said, I would be very, very disappointed if he doesn’t come back.
“All that I know is that the people inside the club – the people at the training ground on a daily basis – they are doing their best.
“How much resources they have is not a question for me. I am not the financial director.”
Matt Phillips and Conor Townsend could be in Bilic’s Premier League squad for the first time this season at Everton.
Both players missed the opening-day defeat to Leicester – Phillips with a back injury and Townsend due to an ankle problem – but they each featured against Harrogate in midweek in the Carabao Cup.
