German Rangnick to coach West Bromwich Albion?

German coach Ralf Rangnick is in the running to be the next manager of English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion as replacement for Roy Hodgson who has joined the FA as England manager.

53 year old Rangnick has become the Baggies favourite after plans to bring in long-time favourite Chris Hughton from neighbours Birmingham City hit a roadblock with a 2 million Pound transfer fee. Another candidate Italian Claudio Ranieri today signed for AS Monaco in France, which leaves Albions with no many real candidates and options as earlier Ray Wilkins had turned down the offer to coach them.

If West Bromwich Albion do sign Ralf Rangnick as their new manager, then he would be the first German to coach in the English Premier League and it looks possible then Rangnick is said to have impressed the West Brom management.

Rangnick had earlier been approached by Turkish side Besiktas Istanbul and Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht, but he has turned down both offers with the Premiership a very possible destination for someone who has studied English and is known as a very intelligent, modern coach.

Rangnick had last coached Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04, but left the royal blues in September 2011 after just six months due to an exhaustion syndrome due to which he was unable to muster the strength and energy to coach the club. Now he wants to get back into coaching after recovering fully from the syndrome.

Rangnick before joining Schalke had coached Hannover 96, thereafter FC Schalke 04 for the first time and surprisingly joined 1899 Hoffenheim in June 2006 as the club was only an ambitious third division club then, but in two years he took them into the Bundesliga and in December 2008 the small town club surprisingly were winter champions of the league. Two years later he left the club after the management sold one of his players without the coaches consent.